understatement
noun
un·der·state·ment
ˌən-dər-ˈstāt-mənt 
plural understatements
1
: a statement that represents something as smaller or less intense, or less important than it really is : a statement that understates something
It is an understatement to say that the Internet has made life far more convenient for staggeringly many people.—
Cass R. Sunstein
Cass R. Sunstein
also
: the act of understating something or the practice of making such statements
understatement of population growth
To say Britain isn't good at coping with snow would be to exercise British understatement. —Catherine Mayer
Catherine Mayer We have been taught to value terseness and understatement … —Irving Howe
Irving Howe 2
: the avoidance of obvious emphasis or embellishment : an understated condition, appearance, etc.
Sure, glamour is still the operative word regarding fashion, but where flamboyance once ruled, there is now understatement and classic elegance.—Premiere
PremiereHe capitalizes on his reputation for understatement by saving huge sonorities for significant occasions; as a result, his rare musical outbursts seem not so much theatrical as visceral, as if they were blows sustained in real time.—Alex Ross
Alex RossExamples of understatement in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To call Cuevas’ route to Alabama (11-3) a journey would be an understatement.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 30 Dec. 2025
The arrangement was hardly ideal, Harp said, laughing at the understatement.
—Lauren Hilgers, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
To call it a major shock for Tommy is an understatement.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
To call this 1,184 hp street-legal Prancing Horse magnificent feels like an understatement, but then the new F80 unleashes more power than any road-going Ferrari to leave the factory in history and distills everything the marque has learned in nearly 80 years.
—Robb Report Contributors, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for understatement
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Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 30 Dec. 2025
The arrangement was hardly ideal, Harp said, laughing at the understatement.
—Lauren Hilgers, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
To call it a major shock for Tommy is an understatement.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
To call this 1,184 hp street-legal Prancing Horse magnificent feels like an understatement, but then the new F80 unleashes more power than any road-going Ferrari to leave the factory in history and distills everything the marque has learned in nearly 80 years.
—Robb Report Contributors, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for understatement
Cite this Entry
“Understatement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/understatement. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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