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

• A. Connotation
• B. Denotation
• C. Semantic Field
• D. Register

Answer: (B)

The main idea is distinguishing the literal, dictionary meaning from the ideas a word evokes. The literal dictionary meaning of a word is its denotation—the explicit definition you would find in a dictionary. For example, the denotation of "home" is the place where someone lives, a dwelling. But words also carry connotations—the feelings, associations, and ideas that come with them beyond the strict definition. The other terms describe different things: connotation is about those emotional overtones, a semantic field is a set of related words within a topic, and register refers to the formality or style of language. So the term that refers to the literal dictionary meaning is denotation.