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What is Antonomasia?

Antonomasia (pronounced an-tuh-nuh–mey-zhuh) is a literary term in which a descriptive phrase replaces a person’s name.  Antonomasia can range from lighthearted nicknames to epic names.
The phrase antonomasia is derived from the Greek phrase antonomazein meaning “to name differently.”

Substituting a descriptive phrase for a proper name, or substituting a proper name for a quality associated with it.

In rhetoric, antonomasia is a kind of metonymy in which an epithet or phrase takes the place of a proper name, such as "the little corporal" for Napoleon I. Conversely, antonomasia can also be using a proper name as an archetypal name, to express a generic idea.

A frequent instance of antonomasia in the Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance was the use of the term "the Philosopher" to refer to Aristotle. A more recent example of the other form of antonomasia (usage of archetypes) was the use of "Solons" for "the legislators" in 1930s journalism, after the semi-legendary Solon, lawgiver of Athens.

Examples of Antonomasia

Oftentimes, antonomasia is used to call attention to a certain characteristic.
Example 1
Imagine that you have a friend who is a fantastic chef, and you want to say hello.
Normal sentence:
Sentence with Antonomasia:
Here, the use of antonomasia allows you to greet your friend with a nickname which also reveals something about his character: he’s a great chef.

Example 2
For another example, consider that you have a grumpy teacher:
Normal sentence:
Sentence with Antonomasia:
Replacing the teacher’s actual name with his defining characteristic, grumpiness, serves to highlight just how much the mood is associated with the man.

Example 3
For a commonly use example of antonomasia, consider two women discussing men:
Normal sentence:
With the addition of antonomasia, we can emphasize the quality she hopes to find in this man:
Sentence with Antonomasia:
Giving a man the title “Mr. Right” is an everyday example of antonomasia in conversation.

Examples of Antonomasia in Literature

Antonomasia is important in literature, as it can tell more about characters just by their titles. Consider a few examples:


One instance of antonomasia is the treatment of Voldemort in J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter Series. Rather than calling the dangerous man by name, all must call him “You-Know-Who” or “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” This usage of antonomasia emphasizes just how dangerous the man is, as most wizards and witches are too afraid to say his actual name aloud.

Examples of Antonomasia in Pop Culture 

Antonomasia is rampant in pop culture, for who doesn’t like a good nickname?


Consider the following pop stars and their antonomasia:

• Michael Jackson as “The King of Pop”
• Madonna as “The Queen of Pop”
• Ella Fitzgerald as “The First Lady of Song”
• Bruce Springsteen as “The Boss”
• Aretha Franklin as “The Queen of Soul”
• Muhammad Ali as “The Greatest”

references
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonomasia
http://literaryterms.net/antonomasia/
http://rhetoric.byu.edu/Figures/A/antonomasia.htm