Which term refers to the explicit, dictionary-like meaning of a word?

Which term refers to the explicit, dictionary-like meaning of a word?

• A. Connotation
• B. Denotative
• C. Literal
• D. Idiomatic

Answer: (B)

The main concept here is denotation—the explicit, dictionary-style meaning of a word. Denotative means the actual definition or the object or idea a word refers to, without the feelings or associations it might evoke. That’s why it’s the best fit: it names the precise meaning you’d look up in a dictionary. Connotation, by contrast, is about the ideas, emotions, or cultural associations a word carries beyond its literal definition. Idiomatic describes phrases whose overall meaning isn’t tied to the literal meanings of the individual words. Literal can overlap with denotation in everyday language, but the standard term for the dictionary-defined meaning is denotative.

The main concept here is denotation—the explicit, dictionary-style meaning of a word. Denotative means the actual definition or the object or idea a word refers to, without the feelings or associations it might evoke. That’s why it’s the best fit: it names the precise meaning you’d look up in a dictionary.

Connotation, by contrast, is about the ideas, emotions, or cultural associations a word carries beyond its literal definition. Idiomatic describes phrases whose overall meaning isn’t tied to the literal meanings of the individual words. Literal can overlap with denotation in everyday language, but the standard term for the dictionary-defined meaning is denotative.