litotes: Meaning and Definition of

li•to•tes

Pronunciation: (lī'tu-tēz", lit'u-, lī-tō'tēz), [key]
— pl. -tes.
  1. understatement, esp. that in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary, as in “not bad at all.” Cf. hyperbole.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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