Okuzeka
Literature vocabulary · Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

Synecdoche

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounCommon term

In literature, synecdoche means: Using a part to stand for a whole or a whole to stand for a part.

In Turkish: parça-bütün aktarması, sinekdok

How it is used

Use when the relationship is specifically part and whole; it is often treated as a kind of metonymy.

Example sentences

  1. The captain's call for more 'hands' is synecdoche for the sailors he needs.

    A body part represents the whole people who perform the work.

  2. The essay explains the synecdoche in 'hungry mouths' and its effect on the family portrait.

    Naming only mouths emphasizes the family's need for food.

Common collocations

  • use synecdoche
  • an instance of synecdoche
  • figure of speechA use of words in a non-literal or unusual way to create a special effect or meaning, such as a metaphor, simile, hyperbole or personification.
  • imageryDescriptive language that appeals to the senses, such as sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, so that readers can picture or feel what is described.

More terms: Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: