Metonymy vs. Synecdoche

Main Difference

The main difference between Metonymy and Synecdoche is that the Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept and Synecdoche is a figure of speech.

• Metonymy

  Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept.

• Synecdoche

  A synecdoche (, sih-NEK-də-kee; from Greek συνεκδοχή, synekdoche, lit. “simultaneous understanding”) is a figure of speech in which a term for a part of something refers to the whole of something or vice versa. A synecdoche is a class of metonymy, often by means of either mentioning a part for the whole or conversely the whole for one of its parts. Examples from common English expressions include “suits” (for “businessmen”), “boots” (for “soldiers”) (pars pro toto), and “America” (for “the United States of America”, totum pro parte).The use of government buildings to refer to their occupants is metonymy and sometimes also synecdoche. “The Pentagon” for the United States Department of Defense can be considered synecdoche, as the building can be considered part of the department. Likewise, using “Number 10” to mean “the Office of the Prime Minister” (of the United Kingdom) is a synecdoche.