What statement best contrasts denotation with affective meaning?

• A. Denotation is emotional; affective meaning is literal.
• B. Denotation is rhetorical tone; affective is logical.
• C. Denotation is the literal meaning of a word; affective meaning is its emotional associations.
• D. Denotation is the connotation; affective is denotation.

Answer: (C)

Denotation vs affective meaning is about literal meaning versus emotional associations. The denotation of a word is its precise, dictionary definition—the thing it refers to in the world. The affective meaning is the feelings, attitudes, or emotional responses the word tends to evoke in listeners or readers.

For example, the word snake denotes a specific kind of reptile, but its affective meaning includes fear or danger for many people. That emotional layer is what connotative or affective meaning captures.

So the best statement is that denotation is the literal meaning of a word, while affective meaning is its emotional associations. The other ideas mix up literal meaning with emotion, or treat denotation as tone or logic, which isn’t correct.