[li.to.tes] n, pl litotes [Gk litotes, fr. litos simple, perh. fr. lit-, lis linen cloth] (1589): understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary (as in "not a bad singer" or "not unhappy")
LITOTES
Meaning of LITOTES in English
Merriam-Webster English vocab. Английский словарь Merriam Webster. 2012