Connotative meaning definition – UGC NET Question

Connotative meaning refers to the feelings,attitudes and associations that a word evokes in people,which go beyond its literal dictionary meaning. Words like “home” or “cheap” carry emotional tones that differ among individuals. The stem clearly points to these personal and emotional associations. Hence,the term is connotative meaning.

Option A:
Literal meaning is close to denotative meaning and refers to the basic dictionary definition,not the emotional colouring.

Option B:
Technical meaning is a specialised,precise sense used within a particular field,such as “work” in physics,which is not the broad associative meaning described.

Option C:
Connotative meanings can cause misunderstandings when sender and receiver attach different associations to the same word,making option C correct.

Option D:
Referential meaning usually points to the actual object or concept that a word stands for,again close to denotative sense,rather than emotional overtones.