literary device

noun

1. A technique or structure that a writer uses to create a particular effect, convey meaning, or add depth to a piece of writing, such as metaphor, irony, or foreshadowing.

   B2

   countableformal

   • "The teacher asked us to identify three literary devices in the poem."B1
   • "Metaphor is a literary device that compares two things without using 'like' or 'as'."B2
   • "The author's use of foreshadowing is a subtle literary device that hints at the tragic ending long before it happens."C1

2. A specific narrative or stylistic tool, such as a flashback, a symbol, or a frame story, that shapes how a story is told rather than what it says.

   C1

   countable, often used in the pluralformal

   • "The film uses a flashback as a literary device to reveal the character's past."B2

3. Such techniques considered collectively as an aspect of a writer's craft or style.

   C1

   uncountable

   • "Her command of literary device is what makes the novel so rewarding to study."C1