understatement
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]under- + statement or understate + -ment
Noun
[edit]understatement (usually uncountable, plural understatements)
- (uncountable, rhetoric) 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.
- (countable) An instance of such phrasing or lack of emphasis.
- Hyponym: laconism
- Now that's an understatement.
- An incomplete disclosure that intentionally withholds relevant information.
Related terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]statement less than complete
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See also
[edit]Dutch
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Borrowed from English understatement.
Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): /ˌɑn.də(r)ˈsteːt.mənt/ (the realisation may approximate English pronunciation: /ər/ will often be realised as [ɚ] or [ə])
Audio: (file) - Hyphenation: un‧der‧state‧ment
Noun
[edit]understatement n (plural understatements)
Synonyms
[edit]Italian
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Unadapted borrowing from English understatement.
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]understatement m (invariable)
References
[edit]- ^ understatement in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)
Categories:
- English terms prefixed with under-
- English terms suffixed with -ment
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Rhetoric
- English terms with usage examples
- en:Figures of speech
- Dutch terms borrowed from English
- Dutch terms derived from English
- Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation
- Dutch terms with audio links
- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch nouns
- Dutch nouns with plural in -s
- Dutch neuter nouns
- Italian terms borrowed from English
- Italian unadapted borrowings from English
- Italian terms derived from English
- Italian 4-syllable words
- Italian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Italian/ɛjtment
- Rhymes:Italian/ɛjtment/4 syllables
- Rhymes:Italian/ejtment
- Rhymes:Italian/ejtment/4 syllables
- Italian lemmas
- Italian nouns
- Italian indeclinable nouns
- Italian countable nouns
- Italian masculine nouns