metonymy

Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it. Rather than describing the thing directly, the speaker uses a related term that evokes it by contiguity or association. The term comes from the Greek metōnymía, meaning "change of name," with meta- meaning "beside" and onoma "name."

Metonymy differs from metaphor in that it relies on real-world association rather than resemblance. Common forms include using a place or institution to stand for the people or policies associated with it (for example, "the White House issued a statement" or "Hollywood announced a new film"), using a product, brand, or material to refer to an object or its makers ("Kleenex" for tissues, "the Crown" for the monarchy, "the silver screen" for cinema), or using an instrument or accessory to stand for an action ("the pen is mightier than the sword" or "give us a hand"). A subtype known as synecdoche uses a part to refer to a whole or vice versa (for example, "wheels" for a car), and is often treated as a form of metonymy.

Metonymy is common in everyday language, journalism, and literary works. It enables concise expression and can reveal cultural associations. In linguistic analysis, metonymy is considered a cognitive mechanism by which humans refer to complex concepts through more immediate, perceptually grounded cues. It coexists with metaphor and other tropes as a flexible tool for framing meaning.