figure of speech

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figure of speech

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figure of speech (plural figures of speech)

1. (rhetoric, stylistic) A word or phrase that intentionally deviates from ordinary language use to produce a rhetorical effect.

   Hyponyms: see Thesaurus:figure of speech

2. (loosely) A turn of phrase that ought not to be taken literally, but rather as employed for convenience of expression only.

   Synonym: façon de parler

   I hope you didn't take it the wrong way, that was a figure of speech.

• “figure of speech”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “figure of speech”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “figure of speech” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.