synecdoche

noun

syn·​ec·​do·​che sə-ˈnek-də-(ˌ)kē 

: a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (such as fifty sail for fifty ships), the whole for a part (such as society for high society), the species for the genus (such as cutthroat for assassin), the genus for the species (such as a creature for a man), or the name of the material for the thing made (such as boards for stage)

synecdochic

ˌsi-ˌnek-ˈdä-kik 

adjective

synecdochical

ˌsi-ˌnek-ˈdä-ki-kəl 

adjective

synecdochically

ˌsi-ˌnek-ˈdä-ki-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between synecdoche and metonymy?

Synecdoche refers to a literary device in which a part of something is substituted for the whole (as hired hand for "worker"), or less commonly, a whole represents a part (as when society denotes "high society"). In metonymy, a word that is associated with something is used to refer to it (as when crown is used to mean "king" or "queen"). For more information read the full article.

Is 'lend me your ears' an example of metonymy or synecdoche?

The Shakespearean phrase "lend me your ears," from Mark Antony's speech in Julius Caesar, is a call for the audience's attention made using metonymy, since ears are not part of attention but are associated with paying attention.

What are some examples of synecdoche?

Here are some examples of synecdoche: the word hand in "offer your hand in marriage"; mouths in "hungry mouths to feed"; and wheels referring to a car.

Examples of synecdoche in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hair also continued to have significance and power even when it was detached from the body—preserved, perhaps, in a book or locket—because the strands of hair themselves functioned as a synecdoche for their owner. —Literary Hub, 9 June 2025

Yet the disaster is just a short-term synecdoche for the ongoing pollution of land, air, and water that’s depicted and discussed as an appalling yet commonplace enormity throughout. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2025

In a sense, the books were synecdoches for 16th century France. —Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

And similarly, the synecdoche is just a larger focus of a much bigger and more global issue. —Hazlitt, 25 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek synekdochē, from syn- + ekdochē sense, interpretation, from ekdechesthai to receive, understand, from ex from + dechesthai to receive; akin to Greek dokein to seem good — more at ex-, decent

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for synecdoche

• gauche

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