Metonymy

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Definition Metonymy?

A Metonymy is a rhetoric figure of speech in which a thing, product or concept is not expressed by its name, but indirectly by something associated with it.

The word Metonymy comes from the ancient Greek μετωνυμία / metõnymìa, it literally means beyond the name.

In cognitive linguistic and communication science a metonymy is also the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by referring to things around it or things that are part of it.

Metonymy Examples

A well known general example is when we talk about newspaper business we use the word press. Or we use The White House when we mean the President of the USA.

In business you can find metonymies such as suits to indicate managers. Other well-known examples are blue collar workers and white collar employees and heads to indicate the (maximum) number of employees.

A metonymy can also be used with images: a scene of a movie representing a group of teenagers standing on the street, can be used to describe all teenagers, what they do and who they are. Metonymy is a strong and effective tool to diffuse a hidden and complex meaning under a simple and accepted concept associated to the original one. It is frequently used in advertising: a product is presented just after something desirable that pertains to the same domain to create an indirect association, that would have been impossible if the two concepts were presented with a direct comparison. As a result people who have a (hidden) need to achieve that will be interested in a purchase.

Metonymy versus Metaphor. Difference

Similarity: both metonymies and metaphors substitute one term for another.

Difference. in metaphors the substitution is based on similarity, while in metonymies the substitution is based on contiguity (association).

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