metonyymiasta

Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to not by its own name, but by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept. It is a form of figurative language that relies on the substitution of a related term for the actual term. This substitution is not based on similarity, as in metaphor, but on contiguity or association.

Common examples of metonymy include using "the White House" to refer to the President or the executive branch of the U.S. government, or "the crown" to represent the monarchy. In literature, metonymy can be used to create a more vivid or evocative image, or to suggest a particular idea or feeling without explicitly stating it. For instance, referring to a writer by their pen suggests their creative output.

The effect of metonymy is to simplify expression and to draw attention to a particular aspect of the thing being referred to. It is a widespread rhetorical device found in everyday language, literature, and rhetoric. It differs from synecdoche, which is a related figure of speech where a part is used to represent the whole or vice versa, although the two are sometimes confused or used interchangeably. Metonymy focuses on a conceptual association rather than a part-whole relationship.