Semantic change can make a word wider in meaning, narrower in meaning, more positive, or more negative. Which option is NOT listed as a possible outcome?

Semantic change can make a word wider in meaning, narrower in meaning, more positive, or more negative. Which option is NOT listed as a possible outcome?

• A. Narrower
• B. Broader
• C. More Positive
• D. More Neutral

Answer: (D)

Semantic change moves a word’s meaning in a few common directions: it can broaden to cover more things, or narrow to cover fewer; it can also shift in emotional charge, becoming more positive or more negative. The options reflect widening, narrowing, and positive/negative shifts. More Neutral isn’t described as a standard outcome in this set, even though words can sometimes lose emotional charge in other contexts. So “More Neutral” is the one that doesn’t fit with the others.