Metonymic (Adjective)
Meaning
Using the name of one thing for that of another with which it is closely associated; "to say `he spent the evening reading Shakespeare' is metonymic because it substitutes the author himself for the author's works".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The phrase "The White House announced a new policy" is metonymic, as it uses the name of the building to refer to the administration that works there.
- In the sentence "The pen is mightier than the sword," the word "pen" is metonymic, as it represents the writers who use it.
- The company's slogan "Come and taste the difference at McDonald's" is metonymic, as it uses the name of the company to refer to the food it serves.
- When someone says "I got a new set of wheels," the word "wheels" is metonymic, as it represents the entire car.
- The phrase "Wall Street plummeted today" is metonymic, as it uses the name of the street to refer to the stock market.