The connotative meaning of a word includes?

The connotative meaning of a word encompasses the emotional reactions and associations that a word elicits in addition to its literal definition. This involves the feelings, thoughts, and images that come to mind when someone hears or thinks of the word. For instance, the word "home" might evoke warm feelings of comfort and safety, while the word "cheap" might bring to mind feelings of poor quality or inferiority, despite its literal meanings.

In contrast, the literal meaning of a word, known as its denotative meaning, focuses solely on the surface definition without the emotional context. Historical context may inform a word's connotation but does not define it. The dictionary definition also pertains merely to the explicit meaning of a word, lacking the emotional nuance that constitutes its connotative meaning. Connotation, therefore, plays a critical role in understanding how language influences perception and conveys deeper significance beyond the words themselves.