Denotive

/dɛˈnoʊtɪv/ adjective

Definition

Having the function or quality of denoting; serving to indicate or point to something; expressive of direct meaning.

Etymology

From denote + -ive (suffix forming adjectives). A synonym and perhaps more technical form of 'denotative,' though 'denotive' is less commonly used in modern English.

Kelly Says

You'll see 'denotive' in older philosophical texts and formal logic papers where it means roughly the same as 'denotative,' but it never quite caught on—'denotative' won the competition for which form English speakers preferred.

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