antonomasia

Borrowed from Latin antonomasia, Ancient Greek ἀντονομασία (antonomasía, “antonomasia”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌæntənəʊˈmeɪzɪə/, /ænˌtɒnəʊˈmeɪzɪə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌæntənəˈmeɪʒə/

antonomasia (countable and uncountable, plural antonomasias)

1. (rhetoric) The substitution of an epithet or title in place of a proper noun.

   The use of terms of address when speaking to royalty, nobility, clerics, and the like is an example of antonomasia.

2. (rhetoric) Use of a proper name to suggest its most obvious quality or aspect.

   In the sentence to the right, using the ancient Athenian statesman Solon as an example of a leader with wise judgment is an instance of antonomasia. Its use in reference to modern American politicians is, however, likely ironic.

   • 1835, L[arret] Langley, “[Rhetorical Figures.] Antonomasia.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 70:

     Antonomasia proper names imparts
     From kindred, country, epithets, and arts.

• autonomasia, autonomasy

• See eponym

From Latin antonomasia.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑntonoˌmɑsiɑ/, [ˈɑ̝n̪t̪o̞no̞ˌmɑ̝s̠iɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑsiɑ
• Syllabification^(key): an‧to‧no‧ma‧si‧a
• Hyphenation^(key): an‧tono‧masia

antonomasia

1. antonomasia

Borrowed from Latin antonomasia, from Ancient Greek ἀντονομασία (antonomasía, “antonomasia”).

• IPA^(key): /an.to.noˈma.zja/^[1]
• Rhymes: -azja
• Hyphenation: an‧to‧no‧mà‧sia

antonomasia f (plural antonomasie)

1. (rhetoric) antonomasia

From Ancient Greek ἀντονομασία (antonomasía, “antonomasia”).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [an.tɔ.nɔˈma.si.a]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [an̪.t̪o.noˈmaː.s̬i.a]

antonomasia f (genitive antonomasiae); first declension

1. (rhetoric) antonomasia

First-declension noun.

• English: antonomasia
• French: antonomase
• Italian: antonomasia
• Spanish: antonomasia

• “antonomasia”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• antonomasia in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Borrowed from Latin antonomasia, Ancient Greek ἀντονομασία (antonomasía, “antonomasia”).

• IPA^(key): /antonoˈmasja/ [ãn̪.t̪o.noˈma.sja]
• Rhymes: -asja
• Syllabification: an‧to‧no‧ma‧sia

antonomasia f (plural antonomasias)

1. (rhetoric) antonomasia

• “antonomasia”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024