Denotation refers to which aspect of a sign?

Denotation refers to which aspect of a sign?

• A. The mental concept or interpretation
• B. The literal, visible meaning
• C. External knowledge the text refers to
• D. The emotional response

Answer: (B)

Denotation is the literal, visible meaning of a sign—the direct reference it makes in the real world. It’s the basic level you’d point to as the sign’s straightforward, surface meaning. For example, a stop sign denotes the command to stop a vehicle; a picture of a rose denotes the flower itself. The other aspects describe what the sign can evoke or rely on beyond that surface level: the mental concept or interpretation points to how we decode ideas and associations (connotation); external knowledge refers to background information the sign might relate to or require; the emotional response captures the affective impact or feelings the sign can provoke (also tied to connotation). So the option describing the literal, visible meaning is the one that fits denotation.

Denotation is the literal, visible meaning of a sign—the direct reference it makes in the real world. It’s the basic level you’d point to as the sign’s straightforward, surface meaning. For example, a stop sign denotes the command to stop a vehicle; a picture of a rose denotes the flower itself. The other aspects describe what the sign can evoke or rely on beyond that surface level: the mental concept or interpretation points to how we decode ideas and associations (connotation); external knowledge refers to background information the sign might relate to or require; the emotional response captures the affective impact or feelings the sign can provoke (also tied to connotation). So the option describing the literal, visible meaning is the one that fits denotation.