antonomasia

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“
Garibaldi was always or almost always victorious (in reality he fought brilliant guerrilla skirmishes which piety later turned into vast and tidy battles); he was the first to be called Il Duce, a pompous nineteenth-century opera libretto title, by antonomasia (Mussolini had been called Il Duce by his socialist followers before 1914 and took the title with him to the Fascist party).

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Definitions (4)

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  1. noun The substitution of a title or epithet for a proper name, as in calling a sovereign "Your Majesty.”
  2. noun The substitution of a personal name for a common noun to designate a member of a group or class, as in calling a traitor a "Benedict Arnold.”

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Examples

  • Garibaldi was always or almost always victorious (in reality he fought brilliant guerrilla skirmishes which piety later turned into vast and tidy battles); he was the first to be called Il Duce, a pompous nineteenth-century opera libretto title, by antonomasia (Mussolini had been called Il Duce by his socialist followers before 1914 and took the title with him to the Fascist party). —  The Not So Great Dictator
  • He blithely absolves this libel as an example of "antonomasia" ( "the use of a proper name to express a general idea," OED), saying rather too airily that in this instance he meant a "Pat Boone-type" to imply any crooner of the well-scrubbed variety. —  Happy Days Are Here Again
  • It is not for Mr. Buckley to admit to an inattentive memory and careless writing when the polysyllabic evasion of "antonomasia" is available. —  Happy Days Are Here Again
  • To be a Chueta, to spring from the street of the Silversmiths, which by antonomasia is called "the street," is the greatest disgrace which can happen to a Majorcan. —  The Dead Command From the Spanish Los Muertos Mandan
 

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Antonomasia has been looked up 769 times, favorited 0 times, listed 16 times, and commented on 10 times.

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Latin, from Greek antonomazein, to name instead : anti-, instead of; see anti- + onomazein, to name (from onoma, name; see nŏ̄-men- in Indo-European roots).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Latin, from Greek ἀντονομασία, from ἀντονομάζειν, call by another name, from ἀντί, instead of, + ὀνομάζειν, name, from ὅνομα, name, = Latin nomen = English name.
 

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/æntɑnəˈmeɪʒɪə/
by American Heritage

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