Definition

A figure of speech where a part represents the whole, or the whole represents a part. For example, 'all hands on deck' uses 'hands' to mean 'people.'

Example Usage

When she said 'I need new eyes on this project,' she used synecdoche—she meant the perspective of new people, not literal eyes.

Origin

From Greek 'synekdokhē,' meaning 'simultaneous understanding' (syn- 'together' + ekdekhesthai 'to receive').

Fun Fact

The film 'Synecdoche, New York' uses the concept in its title, where a part of a city represents the emotional whole of human experience.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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