metonymy

noun/məˈtɒnɪmi/

Frequency rank: #19,870 most common English word

Meaning

A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another closely associated with it.

Illustration for the English word “metonymy”

Example sentence

Using 'the White House' to mean the US president is classic metonymy.

Synonyms & related words

Practice this word in the quiz

More words in ranks 19,801–19,900