Metonyms

What Is a Metonym? (with Examples)

A metonym is a word used in place of a closely related word. A metonym is a form of figurative language. Metonyms closely resemble metaphors, but the thing being represented by a metonym will be a close match. A metonym is often an attribute or a component part of the thing being represented.

Examples of Metonyms

Here are some examples of metonyms (shaded): metonyms example

The Benefits of Metonyms

Using a metonym is a good way to keep your writing interesting. It's also a good way of showing your readers that you trust them. Look at this example: By using this metonym, you're trusting your readers to know where UK's parliament is situated or to work it out from context.

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See Also

What is figurative language? What are metaphors? What are similes? What are homonyms? What are palindromes? What are anagrams? Glossary of grammatical terms