Which term refers to the literal dictionary meaning of a word?

Which term refers to the literal dictionary meaning of a word?

• A. Denotation
• B. Connotation
• C. Polysemy
• D. Metaphor

Answer: (A)

Denotation is the literal dictionary meaning of a word—the basic thing or idea it names, without emotional overtones or cultural associations. For example, the denotation of “home” is the place where a person lives. Its connotation includes feelings of warmth or safety, which are the attitudes or associations people attach to the word. The other terms describe related ideas but aren’t the literal meaning: connotation is about those feelings and associations; polysemy refers to a word having multiple related senses; a metaphor is a figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another. So the exact, dictionary sense is denotation.

Denotation is the literal dictionary meaning of a word—the basic thing or idea it names, without emotional overtones or cultural associations. For example, the denotation of “home” is the place where a person lives. Its connotation includes feelings of warmth or safety, which are the attitudes or associations people attach to the word. The other terms describe related ideas but aren’t the literal meaning: connotation is about those feelings and associations; polysemy refers to a word having multiple related senses; a metaphor is a figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another. So the exact, dictionary sense is denotation.