metonymy
Metonymy (noun) means a figure of speech in which something is called by the name of a thing closely associated with it, as when "the Crown" stands for the monarchy or "Hollywood" for the film industry. Example: “The White House denied the report" is metonymy: the building stands for the administration.”
How to Use Metonymy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCalling something by the name of a related thing, like saying "the Crown" to mean the monarchy.
Technical and literary; belongs to grammar, rhetoric and criticism.
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
"The White House denied the report" is _____: the building stands for the administration.
Etymology
From Greek metonymia 'a change of name', from meta 'change' plus onyma 'name'.
Synonyms
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between metonymy and metaphor?
A metaphor swaps in something unrelated for the sake of resemblance, as in "he is a lion". Metonymy swaps in something genuinely connected, as in "the Crown" for the monarchy, where the crown really belongs to the institution.
What is the difference between metonymy and synecdoche?
Synecdoche is the narrower case where a part stands for the whole, or the whole for a part, as in "all hands on deck". Metonymy covers any close association, not only part and whole, so many people treat synecdoche as a type of metonymy.
What are common examples of metonymy?
"The pen is mightier than the sword" for writing and warfare, "Downing Street" for the British government, "a dish" for a meal, and "the bench" for judges.