Which term best describes a word that denotes an action, state, or occurrence?

The correct answer is C, as a verb is specifically a word that describes an action, state, or occurrence. Verbs are fundamental to sentence structure and play a critical role in conveying what the subject is doing or experiencing. For example, in the sentence "She runs every morning," "runs" is the verb that indicates the action the subject is performing.

Nouns refer to people, places, things, or ideas, which means they do not denote actions or occurrences. Adjectives describe nouns and provide more detail about them, but they do not signify actions or states. Adverbs typically modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to explain how, when, where, or to what extent an action occurs, but they are not the words that directly signify the action themselves. Therefore, the term that best describes a word denoting an action, state, or occurrence is indeed a verb.