— understatement /un'deuhr stayt"meuhnt, un"deuhr stayt'-/ , n.
/un'deuhr stayt"/ , v.t., understated, understating .
to state or represent less strongly or strikingly than the facts would bear out; set forth in restrained, moderate, or weak terms: The casualty lists understate the extent of the disaster.
[ 1815-25; UNDER- + STATE ]