denotato

Denotato is a term found in some linguistic and philosophical discussions, used as a noun to refer to the act or product of denoting an expression’s reference. It derives from the Latin denotare, meaning to denote, and it is not part of a standardized, widely adopted terminology in semantics.

In practice, denotato can be used to denote either the referent itself (the object a term denotes) or the cognitive or contextual process by which a speaker links a term to its referent. Some writers treat denotato and denotation as interchangeable, while others distinguish denotato as the act or process of denoting and denotation as the resulting referent or set of referents.

Examples illustrate the ambiguity of usage. The denotato of “cat” might be the set of all cats as a referential extension, or, in a process-oriented view, the mental act of connecting the word “cat” to a cat in the world. In many discussions, denotato appears in explanatory notes, glossaries, or pedagogy rather than in core theoretical works.

See also: Denotation, Reference, Denote, Referent, Sense. The term remains uncommon and its precise meaning can vary by author, so readers should consult the source’s definitions when encountering its use.