Dictionary
un•der•state
Pronunciation: (un"dur-stāt'), [key]—
v.t., -stat•ed, -stat•ing.
to state or represent less strongly or strikingly than the facts would bear out; set forth in restrained, moderate, or weak terms:
The casualty lists understate the extent of the disaster. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.