Metonymy, Synecdoche, and Metaphor Metonymy is often confused with another figure of speech called “synecdoche.” These devices resemble one another, but are not the same. Synecdoche refers to a thing by the name of one of its parts. For example, calling a car “a wheel” is a synecdoche, as a part of a car – the “wheel” – stands for the whole car.
In a metonymy, on the other hand, the word we use to describe another thing is closely linked to that particular thing, but is not a part of it. For example, the word “crown” is used to refer to power or authority is a metonymy. It is not a part of the thing it represents.
Metonymy is also different from a metaphor, which draws resemblance between two different things. For instance, in the sentence, “You are sunlight and I moon,” (Sun and Moon by Miss Saigon), sunlight and the moon, and humans are quite different things without any association.
However, metaphor attempts to describe one thing in terms of another based on a supposed similarity. Metonymy, however, develops a relation on the grounds of close association, as in “The White House is concerned about terrorism.” The White House here represents the people who work in it.
Metonymy is a figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is closely associated.
Metonymy is often confused with another figure of speech called “synecdoche.” These devices resemble one another, but are not the same. Synecdoche refers to a thing by the name of one of its parts. For example, calling a car “a wheel” is a synecdoche, as a part of a car – the “wheel” – stands for the whole car.
Metonymy, however, develops a relation on the grounds of close association, as in “The White House is concerned about terrorism.” The White House here represents the people who work in it.