Which definition aligns with synecdoche?

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part of something represents the whole or, conversely, the whole represents a part. The correct choice highlights that characteristic perfectly, as it indicates that a smaller component can stand in for the larger entity it belongs to.

For instance, in everyday language, one might refer to all workers in a factory as "hands," using a part (hands) to represent the whole group of workers. This device is often utilized in literature and everyday speech to create vivid images and convey ideas more efficiently.

The other options do not capture the essence of synecdoche. While self-referential jokes, exaggerated speech, and broad descriptions of concepts pertain to different rhetorical or literary strategies, they do not reflect the specific relationship of part to whole that defines synecdoche.