Various Kinds of Meaning

Seven types of meaning are:

1. Conceptual Meaning
2. Connotative Meaning
3. Stylistic Meaning
4. Affective Meaning
5. Reflective Meaning
6. Collocative Meaning
7. Thematic Meaning

1. Conceptual Meaning
Conceptual meaning refers to literal or dictionary meaning. It is also called logical or cognitive
meaning.
Example:
Boy = Human+Male-Adult
Girl =Human-Female-Adult
2. Connotative Meaning
Connotative is kind of associated, implied or referential meaning. Certain characteristics or
features are associated with a particular world.
Example:
Rose = love
Moon = beauty
3. Stylistic Meaning
Stylistics is defined as the study of the style of different writers and types of literature and elements
of language.
The study of what makes Shakespeare from Chaucer is an example of stylistics.
Example:
He died.
He passed away
He left for heavenly aboard.
4. Affective Meaning

Affective meaning of a word is directly related to the emotion and mood of the speaker as well as
the listener.
• The personal feelings expressed by a speaker or writer.
• The subjective feelings aroused in audiences or readers by a text in any medium.

5. Reflective Meaning
In semantics, reflected meaning is a phenomenon whereby a single word or phrase is associated
with more than one sense or meaning. It is also known as coloring and contagion.
The comedians normally use words that make reflected meaning of their jokes.
6. Collocative Meaning
A group of words that are expected to be together because of their habitual use.
Examples:
handsome boy; beautiful girl; long road
7. Thematic Meaning
It refers to what is communicated by the way in which a speaker or a writer organizes the message
in terms of ordering focus and emphasis.
Thus, active is different from passive though its conceptual meaning is the same. It is done through
focus, theme (topic) or emotive emphasis.
Example:
a. He likes Indian goods most.

Indian goods he likes most.

It is the Indian goods he likes most.

b. John owns the biggest shop in London.

The biggest shop in London belongs to John.