ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Denotation

Denotation is like a big word for the meaning of a word. It's like a secret message that only you can understand when you hear or see the word. Like if someone says "apple," you know it means the fruit that you can eat, and not the computer company or something else. So denotation is like the special meaning of a word that we all agree on to communicate with each other.