A word's actual dictionary meaning is called...

• A. Denotation
• B. Connotation
• C. Etymology
• D. Synonym

Answer: (A)

Denotation is the dictionary meaning—the literal, explicit definition you’d find when you look up a word. Connotation is the emotional or cultural associations a word carries beyond its literal sense. Etymology is about the word’s origin and history. A synonym is another word with a similar meaning, not the exact dictionary definition. So the dictionary meaning described here is denotation.