PERSONIFICATION

personification, incarnation

(noun) the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas etc.

personification, prosopopoeia

(noun) representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature

personification

(noun) a person who represents an abstract quality; “she is the personification of optimism”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

personification (countable and uncountable, plural personifications)

A person, thing or name typifying a certain quality or idea; an embodiment or exemplification.

A literary device in which an inanimate object or an idea is given human qualities.

An artistic representation of an abstract quality as a human

Source: Wiktionary

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Per*son`i*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. personnification.]

1. The act of personifying; impersonation; embodiment. C. Knight.

2. (Rhet.)

Definition: A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstract idea is represented as animated, or endowed with personality; prosopopas, the floods clap their hands. "Confusion heards his voice." Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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