synecdoche
Sign in to savethumb|A common example of synecdoche: using the term boots to mean "soldiers", as in the phrase "boots on the ground".
AI overview
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part of something represents the whole thing, or vice versa—like using "boots" to mean "soldiers." It matters because it's a common way people communicate more vividly and efficiently, allowing a single concrete detail to stand in for a larger concept.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Definition
- Classification
- Examples
- Part referring to whole ''(pars pro toto)''
- General class name that denotes a specific member of that or an associated class
- Specific class name referring to general set of associated things{{Dubious|reason=these are metonyms|date=March 2025}}
- Referring to material actually or supposedly used to make something
- Container refers to its contents
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|A common example of synecdoche: using the term boots to mean "soldiers", as in the phrase "boots on the ground".
Synecdoche is a type of metonymy; it is a figure of speech that uses a term for a part of something to refer to the whole (pars pro toto), or vice versa (totum pro parte). The term is derived . Common English synecdoches include suits for businessmen, wheels for automobile, and boots for soldiers.