Figure of speech

A figure of speech, sometimes termed a rhetorical figure, is a word or phrase that departs from straight-forward, literal language. Figures of speech are often used and crafted for the purpose of emphasis, freshness of expression or clarity. However, clarity may also suffer from its use.

Note that not all theories of meaning necessarily have a concept of "literal language". (See Literal and figurative language.) Under theories that do not, figure of speech is not an entirely coherent concept.

Figures of speech have been classified into a number of different categories. These include:

accumulatio alliteration amplification anastrophe anthimeria antithesis aposiopesis apostrophe assonance catachresis chiasmus circumlocution conceit

ellipsis enallage euphemism hyperbaton hyperbole kenning irony litotes meiosis metaphor

metonymy onomatopoeia paradox paralipsis paronomasia periphrasis perissologia personification pleonasm praeteritio

procatalepsis proslepsis pun simile syllepsis synecdoche synonymia tertium comparationis tmesis (and dystmesis) zeugma

Also see idiom.