Denotative and connotative meanings
Denotative meanings are the literal meanings of words. Connotative meanings are the associated or underlying meanings of words.
Figurative language
Language used in a non-literal way in order to describe something in different terms.
Semantic fields
Groups of words connected by a shared field of reference, eg. medicine or art.
Antonyms
Antonyms: words that have contrasting meanings.
Hypernyms
Hypernyms: words that label categories, eg animal (this category includes for example dog, cat and rabbit).
Hyponyms
Words that can be included in a larger, more general category (e.g. the hyponyms car, bus, airplane as a form of the hypernym transport).
Occupational register
Technical vocabulary associated with a specific occupation or activity.
Sociolect
A language style associated with a particular social group.
Dialect
A style of language associated with a specific geographical region.
Neology
The process of new words forming, including the following: blends, compounds, acronyms, initialisms, eponyms.
Semantic change
Process of words changing their meanings, including the following: narrowing, broadening, amelioration, pejoration, semantic reclamation.
Synonyms
Words with the same meaning.
Levels of Formality
Styles of vocabulary based on the topic and its readers which include slang, colloquialisms, taboo, formal and fixed levels.
