Metonymical (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 metonymical, as it uses the name of the building to refer to the administration that works there.
- The company's CEO said "we're going to Wall Street to raise capital", using the metonymical expression to refer to the stock exchange.
- The phrase "Hollywood produces many movies" is metonymical, as it uses the name of the place to refer to the film industry.
- The politician's opponents criticized "the Pentagon's decision to increase military spending", using the metonymical expression to refer to the Department of Defense.
- The phrase "the pen is mightier than the sword" is metonymical, as it uses the name of a writing instrument to refer to the power of writing.