litotes

== English == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Late Latin lītotēs, from Ancient Greek λιτότης (litótēs, literally “plainness”), from λιτός (litós, “simple”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /laɪˈtəʊ.tiːz/, enPR: lītō'tēz Hyphenation: li‧to‧tes === Noun === litotes (countable and uncountable, plural litotes) (rhetoric) A figure of speech whereby something is stated by denying its opposite. (especially) The negation of a negative quality to assert a positive. Synonyms: antenantiosis, meiosis, moderatour Antonym: hyperbole Hypernyms: irony, understatement, meiosis ==== Derived terms ==== litotic litotical litotically ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== paradiastole double negative Appendix:Snowclones/not the X-est in the Y === Further reading === litotes on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Litotes in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911) === Anagrams === Sottile, oil test, toilest, toilets == French == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /li.tɔt/ === Noun === litotes f plural of litote == Latin == === Etymology === Borrowed from Ancient Greek λιτότης (litótēs). === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈliː.tɔ.teːs] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈliː.to.tes] === Noun === lītotēs f (genitive lītotētos); third declension (Late Latin) (rhetoric) litotes (rhetorical understatement) ==== Declension ==== Third-declension noun (Greek-type, normal variant). ==== Descendants ==== → English: litotes (learned) → French: litote (learned)→ Russian: лито́та (litóta)→ Spanish: litote → German: Litotes (learned) → Italian: litote (learned) → Polish: litotes (learned) === References === “litotes”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette. Souter, Alexander (1949), “lītotēs”, in A Glossary of Later Latin to 600 A.D.‎[2], 1st edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, published 1957, page 234 == Norwegian Bokmål == === Noun === litotes m (definite singular litotesen, indefinite plural litoteser, definite plural litotesene) form removed with the spelling reform of 2005; superseded by litot == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Noun === litotes m (definite singular litotesen, indefinite plural litotesar, definite plural litotesane) (pre-2005) alternative form of litot == Polish == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin lītotēs. Doublet of litota. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /liˈtɔ.tɛs/ Rhymes: -ɔtɛs Syllabification: li‧to‧tes === Noun === litotes m inan (indeclinable) (rhetoric) litotes (figure of speech whereby something is stated by denying its opposite, particularly the negation of a negative quality to say something positive) Synonym: litota === Further reading === “litotes”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[3] (in Polish) == Portuguese == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Late Latin lītotēs, from Ancient Greek λιτότης (litótēs). === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: li‧to‧tes === Noun === litotes f (invariable) (rhetoric) litotes (an understatement employed for rhetoric effect) === Further reading === “litotes”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “litotes”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /liˈtotes/ [liˈt̪o.t̪es] Rhymes: -otes Syllabification: li‧to‧tes === Noun === litotes f (plural litotes) (uncommon) alternative form of lítote plural of litote === Further reading === “litotes”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025