The feeling and association that the word evokes best defines a word's connotative meaning.
The connotative meaning refers to the subjective, emotional, and social associations attached to a word, in contrast to its literal, objective denotative meaning. Connotations are often cultural and can evolve over time. For example, the word "home" connotes warm feelings of comfort, familiarity, and nostalgia. The connotative meaning stems from the emotional reactions the word invokes rather than its formal dictionary definition.
The literal meaning of a word refers to its explicit denotative definition. The interpretation in a thesaurus provides synonymous words, not the connotative meaning. The author's attitude can provide context clues about connotation, but the definition refers specifically to the cultural and personal associations evoked by the word, rather than just the author's perspective. Therefore, the feeling and association a word evokes best captures the essence of its connotative meaning.