Which statement correctly matches denotation and connotation?

Which statement correctly matches denotation and connotation?

• A. Denotation is implied meaning
• B. Connotation is literal word meaning
• C. Denotation is literal meaning and connotation is implied meaning
• D. Connotation is unrelated to word meaning

Answer: (C)

Denotation is the literal meaning you’d find in a dictionary. Connotation is the feelings, associations, or emotional color a word carries beyond its literal sense. For example, home denotes the place where someone lives, but it connotes warmth, safety, and belonging. That contrast shows why the statement that denotation is literal meaning and connotation is implied meaning is the correct match. The idea that denotation is implied meaning, or that connotation is the literal meaning, or that connotation is unrelated to word meaning all miss how these two aspects work together.

Denotation is the literal meaning you’d find in a dictionary. Connotation is the feelings, associations, or emotional color a word carries beyond its literal sense. For example, home denotes the place where someone lives, but it connotes warmth, safety, and belonging. That contrast shows why the statement that denotation is literal meaning and connotation is implied meaning is the correct match. The idea that denotation is implied meaning, or that connotation is the literal meaning, or that connotation is unrelated to word meaning all miss how these two aspects work together.