Synecdoche is a type of metonymy; it is a figure of speech that uses a term for a part of something to refer to the whole (pars pro toto), or vice versa (totum pro parte). [1][2][3][4] The term is derived from Ancient Greek συνεκδοχή (sunekdokhḗ) 'simultaneous understanding'.
Discover the concept of synecdoche and its relationship with metaphor and metonymy. Explore examples and enhance your understanding of figurative language.
Synecdoche refers to a literary device in which a part of something is substituted for the whole (as hired hand for "worker"), or less commonly, a whole represents a part (as when society denotes "high society").
Synecdoche, pronounced si-NEK-duh-kee, is a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole, or conversely, the whole is used to represent a part.
Synecdoche, figure of speech in which a part represents the whole, as in the expression “hired hands” for workmen or, less commonly, the whole represents a part, as in the use of the word “society” to mean high society.
When the keepsake is collected from the dead, it’s a synecdoche of that weight of flesh, that moment of death, preserved from its decay yet referring to it endlessly.
Synecdoche (pronounced sin-ek-duh-kee) is a figure of speech in which a specific part of something is used to refer to the whole thing. It comes from the Greek word synekdoche, which means “simultaneous meaning.”
Metaphor and metonymy are usually regarded as figures of speech. Although the terms derive from literary theory, they might be better regarded as fundamental ways of thinking, of deep interest to ...