What is the term for the implied or associative meaning of a word?

The term for the implied or associative meaning of a word is connotation. This concept encompasses the emotional and cultural associations that a word carries beyond its literal definition. For example, the word "home" not only denotes a physical structure where one lives but also connotes feelings of warmth, safety, and belonging.

In contrast, denotation refers to the explicit, dictionary definition of a word, which is more straightforward and lacks emotional nuance. Terminology refers specifically to the set of specialized vocabulary used within a particular discipline, and lexicon pertains to the complete set of words and phrases in a language or a person's knowledge of those words. These terms focus on different aspects of language and meaning, whereas connotation specifically captures the nuances that words can evoke in various contexts.