antonomasia

[ an-tuh-nuh-mey-zhuh ]
/ ˌæn tə nəˈmeɪ ʒə /

noun

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

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

OTHER 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

antoninianus, antoninus, antoninus pius, antonioni, antonius, antonomasia, antony, antony and cleopatra, antony, mark, antonym, antonyms

Example sentences from the Web for antonomasia

  • 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

antonomasia
/ (ˌæntənəˈmeɪzɪə) /

noun rhetoric

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

Derived forms of antonomasia

antonomastic (ˌæntənəˈmæstɪk), adjective antonomastically, adverb

Word Origin for antonomasia

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