antonomasia

1 9.9

Using a descriptive name for a person, like 'the Bard' for Shakespeare

noun
/ˌæntəˈnoʊmeɪziə/

Literature

: antonomasia

When people say 'the Great Emancipator', they are using antonomasia to refer to Abraham Lincoln.

Examples

The phrase 'the King of Pop' is an example of antonomasia, substituting a descriptive title for Michael Jackson's name.
It names Antonomasia the rhetorical figure that it is, a rhetorical figure to name that which is the quintessence of something.
This describes what happens with the trope of pronuntiatio or antonomasia, which also involves the interchange of moral generalities and specific persons.

Academic text (1997)
In literature, antonomasia is often used when a character is referred to as 'the Bard' instead of using William Shakespeare's name.

Synonyms

antinomasia

vsantonomasia

Literature

9.9

To call a person by a descriptive title instead of their real name

also covers using a proper name to mean a type or characteristic

Surface Forms

antonomasia singular

antonomasias plural

Etymology

Antonomasia comes from the Greek parts anti- meaning 'instead of' and onoma meaning 'name'. So, antonomasia is using a descriptive phrase instead of a real name, as when we call Shakespeare 'the Bard', or using a famous name to mean a whole type of person.