What is the difference between synecdoche and metonymy?

Question

Synecdoche involves words that imitate the sounds things; metonymy gives an inanimate object human characteristics.

Synecdoche uses like or as to compare two things; metonymy compares two things without using like or as.

Synecdoche uses a part to refer to the whole; metonymy uses a related idea to refer to something closely associated with it.

Synecdoche happens when the same words are repeated at the beginning of a sentence; metonymy happens when words are rearranged for dramatic effect.

Answer 1

The correct distinction between synecdoche and metonymy is:

Synecdoche uses a part to refer to the whole; metonymy uses a related idea to refer to something closely associated with it.

To elaborate:

• Synecdoche involves using a part of something to represent the whole (e.g., "all hands on deck" where "hands" refers to sailors).

• Metonymy entails substituting the name of one thing with the name of something else that is closely related or associated (e.g., "the White House issued a statement," where "the White House" refers to the U.S. President or the administration).