Metonym: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know what metonymy is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on metonyms, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What is a metonym?

According to Your Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, a metonym, or metonymy, is the use of a linked term to stand in for an object or concept. This change of name is often used in everyday speech but also in literature. The pronunciation of metonym is ˈmɛtənɪm. You can even have a metonymy of a metonymy. The study of metonymy can quickly get complicated, but thanks to Latin scholars of rhetoric who made significant contributions to the study of metonymy you will be up to speed in no time. Metonymy can be used to grab a reader’s attention by using multiple meanings of a single word.

American literary theorist Kenneth Burke considers metonymy as one of four “master tropes”  There are specific types of metonymy, and related figures of speech include synechdoche, metalepsis, and metaphor. Much rhetoric uses metonymy. You can find it in a lesson, newsletter, short story, the latest news, and more. A common example of metonymy might be using Washington for the federal government of the US or Westminster for The Parliament of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister. Celebrities sometimes even have names that are metonyms. Hollywood can be sued as relations of metonymy for the entire industry of entertainment, as there is an understood association. 

What are examples of metonymy?

The use of metonyms can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of metonym that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use.  Take a look at these metonymy examples from Literary Devices and Your Dictionary and see how many you can identify the metonym in!

  •  “But I, being poor, have only my dreams” (W.B. Yeats)
  •  Turf (represents associations with area of residence or expertise)
  •  “He Got Game” (American film)
  •  “The circus arrives without warning.” (Erin Morgenstern)
  •  Coast (represents associations with seaside, ocean area, regions of land near water)
  •  Count Heads – count people
  •  Dish. (To refer an entire plate of food.)
  •  “Red tape” can stand for bureaucracy,
  •  “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” (Abraham Lincoln)
  •  “Rags to Riches” (American television series)
  •  silver fox – for an attractive older man
  •  “Yesterday’s gone on down the river…” (Larry McMurtry)
  •  During illness, fluids are often essential for recovery. (Fluids is metonymy for hydrating substances)
  •  ears – for giving attention, listening
  •  brass – used in place of high-ranking officials
  •  “He said he reckoned a body could reform the old man with a shotgun, maybe, but he didn’t know no other way.” – The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
  •  Joe’s new ride was expensive. (Ride is metonymy for car)
  •  suits – in place of businesspeople
  •  The Pentagon. (For the Department of Defense and the offices of the U.S. Armed Forces.)
  •  Silicon Valley – to refer to the tech industry
  •  “O, for a draught of vintage!” – Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats
  •  Washington – to refer to the U.S. government. Additionally, Brussels for the government of the European Union, Nairobi for the government of Kenya, Ottawa in Canada; Tokyo in Japan; New Delhi in India; Downing Street or Whitehall in the United Kingdom; and the Kremlin in Russia, Washington for the government of the United States and Beacon Hill for the government of the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
  •  “The Crown” (Netflix television series)
  •  Broadway (represents associations with New York drama productions and stage fame)
  •  Today at lunch, I sat with the jocks. (Jocks is metonymy for athletes)
  •  hand – for help
  •  dish – for an entire plate of food
  •  When I came to visit, my friend offered me a cup. (Cup is metonymy for a beverage such as tea or coffee)
  •  “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;” -Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
  •  While I’m sleeping, my dog tries to steal the covers. (Covers is metonymy for bed linens, blankets, quilts, etc.)
  •  Hollywood – to refer to the film industry
  •  I wish he would keep his nose out of the plans. (Nose is metonymy for interest or attention)
  •  This class is more intelligent and engaged than the last one. (Class is metonymy for a group of students)
  •  heart – to refer to love or emotion
  •  Management (represents associations with administration, leadership, or person in charge of something)
  •  new blood – used in place of new people, fresh ideas
  •  I met him at the reception when he took me for a spin during a slow song. (Spin is metonymy for dance)
  •  I need to decide if I will go Greek in college next year. (Greek is metonymy for sorority or fraternity membership)
  •  Press (represents associations with news organizations)
  •  “Hurtin’ (on the Bottle)” (song, Margo Price)
  •  the big house – to refer to prison
  •  The White House or The Oval Office – used in place of the President or White House staff
  •  The White House. (Referring to the American administration.)
  •  “Be the rainbow in someone’s cloud.” (Maya Angelou)
  •  “I’m mighty glad Georgia waited till after Christmas before it secedes or it would have ruined the Christmas parties.” – Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
  •  Academics (represents associations with school, college, Princeton university, classes, or studying)
  •  Booze (represents associations with alcohol or liquor)
  •  Next week, my boyfriend and I are headed to the altar. (Altar is metonymy for getting married)
  •  Mother tongue – used in place of native language
  •  Pen – writing
  •  Sword – military

Overall, a metonym is the use of a linked term to stand in for an object or concept. 

Sources:

  1. Metonymy – Examples and Definition of Metonymy | Literary Devices 
  2. Examples of Metonymy: Understanding Its Meaning and Use | Your Dictionary