Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Using the name of one thing for that of another with which it is closely associated: Describes a figure of speech where a word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely linked, often by a conceptual or contextual relationship rather than a literal one.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The phrase "The White House announced new policies today" is a metonymic expression, as "The White House" stands for the presidential administration.
  • Saying "The pen is mightier than the sword" is metonymic; "pen" represents written ideas and "sword" represents military force.
  • Her metonymic use of "the crown" to refer to the monarchy was clear to all readers.

Advanced Usage

• Metonymic Shift: The process or instance of using a metonym.
  • The poet's frequent metonymic shifts from "sail" to "ship" created a vivid maritime atmosphere.
• Metonymic Relationship: The conceptual connection between the substituted term and what it represents.
  • Understanding the metonymic relationship between "Hollywood" and the American film industry is key to decoding the article.

Variants and Related Words

• Metonymy (n): The rhetorical device or figure of speech itself.
  • "Metonymy" is a common feature in political discourse.
• Metonymically (adv): In a metonymic manner.
  • The city is often referred to metonymically as "Wall Street" when discussing finance.

Synonyms

• Figurative: Not literal; involving a figure of speech.
• Synecdochic (or Synecdochical): Using a part to represent the whole, or vice versa (a specific type of metonymy).

Related Phrases and Idioms

(Note: "Metonymic" is a technical adjective and is not typically used in common phrasal verbs or idioms. Its usage is primarily in rhetorical, linguistic, or literary analysis.)

Adjective

1. using the name of one thing for that of another with which it is closely associated
   • to say `he spent the evening reading Shakespeare' is metonymic because it substitutes the author himself for the author's works