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understatement

noun
/ˌʌndəˈsteɪtmənt/UK/ˌʌndɚˈsteɪtmənt/US

Etymology

From under- + statement or understate + -ment.

  1. derived from stātus
  2. derived from estat
  3. inherited from stat
  4. suffixed as statement — “state + ment”
  5. prefixed as understatement — “under + statement”

Definitions

  1. A figure of speech whereby something is made to seem smaller or less important than it…

    A figure of speech whereby something is made to seem smaller or less important than it actually is, either through phrasing or lack of emphasis, often for ironic effect.

    • A master of understatement
    • And that mode of expression is very demurring and self-deprecating. Victorian English was all about understatement.

  2. An instance of such phrasing or lack of emphasis

    An instance of such phrasing or lack of emphasis; an incomplete statement.

    • Now that's an understatement.

  3. An incomplete disclosure that intentionally withholds relevant information.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for understatement. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA