antonomasia
Rhetoric. the identification of a person by an epithet or appellative that is not the person's name, as his lordship.
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.
Origin of antonomasia
1Other words from antonomasia
- an·to·no·mas·tic [an-tuh-noh-mas-tik], /ˌæn tə noʊˈmæs tɪk/, an·to·no·mas·ti·cal, adjective
- an·to·no·mas·ti·cal·ly, adverb
Words Nearby antonomasia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use antonomasia in a sentence
antonomasia is, whych for ye proper name putteth some other word: As: the Archebyshop confuted the errour, for Cranmer.
A Treatise of Schemes and Tropes | Richard Sherry
British Dictionary definitions for antonomasia
/ (ˌæntənəˈmeɪzɪə) /
the substitution of a title or epithet for a proper name, such as his highness
the use of a proper name for an idea: he is a Daniel come to judgment
Origin of antonomasia
1Derived forms of antonomasia
- antonomastic (ˌæntənəˈmæstɪk), adjective
- antonomastically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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