What Is Synecdoche? | Definition & Examples
Synecdoche is an effective literary device for creating memorable images and avoiding repetition. Because of this, it is commonly used in poetry, literature, and everyday speech.
My nephew is learning his ABCs. [the alphabet]
Would you like paper or plastic? [types of grocery bag]
Can I buy you a glass? [a drink]
They have boots on the ground for a serious mission. [soldiers]
What is synecdoche?
The most common types of synecdoche are:
- Part for the whole. This involves using a part of something to refer to the whole. For example, the phrase “mouths to feed” uses a part of the human anatomy to signify the whole person.
- Whole for the part. This involves using a whole entity to refer to one of its parts. For example, we often use the collective noun “the police” to refer to a single police officer.
- Container for the contained. This involves using the name of a container to refer to its contents (e.g., “keg” for a keg of beer, “cup” for a cup of coffee). This type of synecdoche is common in everyday speech.
- Material for the thing. This involves referring to the material that is used to make something, instead of the object itself. For example, “paying with plastic” means paying with a credit card, which is made of plastic.
What is the difference between synecdoche and metonymy?
Metonymy substitutes a concept or object with a closely related term (e.g., “brain” for “intelligence”).
In contrast, synecdoche uses a part of something to symbolize the entirety (or conversely, uses the whole to represent a part). Therefore, synecdoche establishes a more precise relationship between the original word and its substitute. For instance, the phrase “hired hand” is a synecdoche for a laborer, because a hand is a part of the human body.
Due to their close relationship, synecdoche is sometimes considered a subset of metonymy, although there is no general consensus on this.
Synecdoche examples
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”
Here, the phrase “retreated back into their money” is an example of synecdoche. It doesn’t only mean money in the physical sense. It also signifies the privilege and decadent lifestyle that their money affords them. In other words, money is used here as a part of Tom and Daisy’s entire way of life and values.
People often use specific brand names to refer to product categories. For example, people may call:
- Any soft drink or cola a “Coke”
- Any adhesive bandage a “Band-aid”
- Any facial tissue a “Kleenex”
- Any type of vacuum cleaner a “Hoover”
Worksheet: Synecdoche vs metonymy vs metaphor
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Frequently asked questions about synecdoche
What is the difference between synecdoche and metaphor?
Synecdoche and metaphor are both types of figures of speech, but they operate in different ways.
While synecdoche replaces a whole with one of its parts (e.g., “heads” to refer to people), a metaphor makes a comparison between two unrelated things (e.g., “he is an open book”).
With synecdoche, there is a literal relationship between the whole and its part that serves as a stand-in. With metaphor, the relationship between the two things being compared is less direct.
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What does metaphor mean?
Metaphor is a figure of speech (or rhetorical device) in which one thing or person is said to be something or someone else. It is a nonliteral (figurative) statement.
For example, in the sentence “My daughter is a little angel,” the daughter is not literally an angel; rather, the metaphor is used to emphasize her innocence and good behavior.
Metaphor differs from simile, in which the thing or person is not directly said to be something or someone else. Instead, a simile compares the two things/people using comparison words such as “as,” “than,” or “like” (e.g., “she behaves like an angel”).
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