What cognitive process is illustrated by understanding a word's meaning after exposure to a similar word?

The cognitive process described in the question is best illustrated by lexical activation. This concept involves the idea that when a person is exposed to a word, their mind accesses the related words and meanings that are stored within their semantic memory. If you first encounter one word and then understand another word that is similar or related, it reflects the activation of lexical representations in your brain.

Lexical activation highlights how the presence of one word can facilitate or trigger the retrieval of associated words, thereby making their meanings more accessible. This process is crucial in language comprehension, as it enables individuals to quickly connect ideas and meanings based on prior knowledge and context. In essence, lexical activation helps streamline communication and enhances overall understanding of language.

Contextual inference, while it relates to deriving meaning based on surrounding context, does not specifically emphasize the activation of word meaning based on similar words. Associative memory refers to a broader type of memory where associations are formed, but it doesn't focus solely on the understanding of word meanings like lexical activation does. Similarly, semantic memory encompasses the storage and recall of general knowledge about concepts, but the specific process highlighted in the question is distinctly about how lexical items influence each other during comprehension.