litotes

[lahy-tuh-teez, lit-uh-, lahy-toh-teez]

noun

Rhetoric.

plural

litotes 

1. understatement, especially that in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary, as in “not bad at all.”

litotes

/ ˈlaɪtəʊˌtiːz /

noun

1. understatement for rhetorical effect, esp when achieved by using negation with a term in place of using an antonym of that term, as in "She was not a little upset" for "She was extremely upset."

Word History and Origins

Origin of litotes¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin, from Greek lītótēs “plainness, simplicity, understatement (in rhetoric),” derivative of lītós “smooth, plain, simple”

Word History and Origins

Origin of litotes¹

C17: from Greek, from litos small