WordValemetonymy
naming something by an associated thing, as 'the crown'
In more detail
1. (noun) a figure of speech in which the name of one thing is used to refer to something else that is closely associated with it, such as using "the crown" to mean the king or "Hollywood" to mean the American film industry
Examples
- When she said "The White House announced a new policy," she used metonymy because the building itself didn't make the announcement—the president and staff did.
How to use metonymy
Metonymy is a specialized literary and linguistic term used when discussing figures of speech and rhetorical devices. It differs from metaphor in that metonymy involves a relationship of association or proximity rather than comparison; for instance, 'the White House announced' uses metonymy by substituting the building for the people working there. The term is common in academic and analytical contexts when examining language use.
Common phrases
- figure of metonymy
- example of metonymy
- use metonymy
- metonymic language
- metonymic expression
Synonyms
figure of speech · substitution · transference
Word family
metonymic · metonymical · metonymically
A common mistake
Learners often confuse metonymy with metaphor; remember that metonymy relies on a contiguous or associative relationship between the two things, whereas metaphor is based on a comparison of similarities.
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