antonomasia

[an-tuh-nuh-mey-zhuh]

noun

1. Rhetoric.,  the identification of a person by an epithet or appellative that is not the person's name, as his lordship.

2. the use of the name of a person who was distinguished by a particular characteristic, as Don Juan or Annie Oakley, to designate a person or group of persons having the same characteristic.

antonomasia

/ ˌæntənəˈmeɪzɪə, ˌæntənəˈmæstɪk /

noun

1. the substitution of a title or epithet for a proper name, such as his highness

2. the use of a proper name for an idea

   he is a Daniel come to judgment

Other Word Forms

• antonomastic adjective
• antonomastically adverb
• antonomastical adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of antonomasia¹

1580–90; < Latin < Greek, verbid of antonomázein to call by a new name, equivalent to ant- ant- + onomat- stem of ónoma name + -ia -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of antonomasia¹

C16: via Latin from Greek, from antonomazein to name differently, from onoma name

Example Sentences

Pertaining to, or characterized by, antonomasia.

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Antonomasia, ant-on-om-āz′i-a, n. a figure of speech which uses an epithet on the name of an office or attributive for a person's proper name, e.g. his lordship for an earl; and conversely, e.g. a Napoleon for a great conqueror.

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The famous kingdom of Candaya had for its queen the lady Donna Maguncia, widow of King Archipiela, who died, leaving the Infanta Antonomasia, their only child, heiress to the crown.

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Thus being made the go-between, the wicked man was often in the chamber of the—not by him, but by me, betrayed Antonomasia, as her lawful spouse: for, sinner as I am, never would I have consented unless he had been her true husband, that he should have come within the shadow of her shoe-string!

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No, no, marriage must be the forerunner of any business of this kind undertaken by me; the only mischief in the affair was that they were ill-sorted: Don Clavijo being but a private gentleman, and the Infanta Antonomasia, as I have already said, heiress of the kingdom.

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