Final answer:
The best denotation for the word 'woman' is 'An adult human female'. Denotation is the explicit dictionary meaning, while gender roles and expectations are separate social constructs and do not define the word 'woman'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that best represents the denotation for the word woman is "An adult human female". Denotation refers to the direct, explicit meaning or reference of a word, without the feelings or suggestions that might be connected with it. In contrast, connotations are the ideas or feelings that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning. When discussing the term woman, we're referring to the denotation, which is the essential, dictionary definition of the term, that is, an adult human female.
It is important to distinguish between sex and gender; sex refers to biological differences, while gender encompasses a broader range of social and cultural roles and expectations. The roles traditionally associated with women, such as caregiver or member of the workforce, are more about the connotations or the roles society has historically expected women to fulfill, which may not apply to every individual woman.
Therefore, when answering questions about the denotation of woman, one should focus on the basic, literal description, not the roles or expectations constructed by society.