Which describes metonymy?

• A. Use of one term closely associated with another to mean the other.
• B. Use of a part to signify the whole.
• C. Giving human qualities to non-human things.
• D. A moral expressed as a lesson.

Answer: (A)

Metonymy is when you name something by using a word or phrase that is closely connected to it, rather than by its own name. This works because some things carry strong associations with other things—like the White House representing the people who run the administration, or Hollywood standing in for the film industry. It’s about connection and proximity, not about a part standing for the whole. That’s why this option best describes metonymy. The other ideas describe different devices: using a part to stand for the whole is a specific form called synecdoche, giving human traits to non-human things is personification, and expressing a moral as a lesson isn’t about substitution of terms.