In rhetoric, litotes (/laɪˈtoʊtiːz,ˈlaɪtətiːz/, US: /ˈlɪtətiːz/),[1] also known classically as antenantiosis or moderatour, is a figure of speech and form of irony in which understatement is used to emphasize a point by stating a negative to further affirm a positive, often incorporating double negatives for effect.[2][3][4] Litotes is a form of understatement, which can be in the form of meiosis, and is always deliberate with the intention of emphasis.[5] However, the interpretation of negation may depend on context, including cultural context. In speech, litotes may also depend on intonation and emphasis; for example, the phrase "not bad" can be intonated differently so as to mean either "mediocre" or "excellent".[6] Along the same lines, litotes can be used (as a form of auxesis[7]), to euphemistically provide emphasis by diminishing the harshness of an observation; "He isn't the cleanest person I know" could be used as a means of indicating that someone is a messy person.[8]
The use of litotes is common in English, Russian, German, Yiddish, Dutch, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ukrainian, Polish, Chinese, French, Czech and Slovak, and is also prevalent in a number of other languages and dialects. It is a feature of Old English poetry and of the Icelandic sagas and is a means of much stoical restraint.[9]
The word litotes is of Greek origin (λιτότης), meaning 'simplicity', and is derived from the word λιτός, litos, meaning 'plain, simple, small or meager'.[10]
^"litotes". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 18 December 2021. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
^"Litotes". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
^"Double negative". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
^"WordNet Search". WordNet: An Electronic Lexical Database. Princeton University. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
^Smyth 1920 p.680
^"litotes (figure of speech)". About.com. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
^Perseus: Henry Peachum., The Garden of Eloquence (1593) Schemas, accessed 15 March 2023
^"litotes". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
^Encyclopædia Britannica (1984) Micropædia VI, p. 266. "Litotes".
^Burton, Gideon. "Silva Rhetoricae". Brigham Young University. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
In rhetoric, litotes (/laɪˈtoʊtiːz, ˈlaɪtətiːz/, US: /ˈlɪtətiːz/), also known classically as antenantiosis or moderatour, is a figure of speech and form...
of the positive ("I'm feeling well"). The rhetorical term for this is litotes. When two negatives are used in one independent clause, in standard English...
look for the origins of Renard's skepticism and irony, his skill in using litotes, his dense and precise styles. The story of "Poil de carotte" is that of...
is. Some authors treat and use antiphrasis just as irony, euphemism or litotes. When the antiphrasal use is very common, the word can become an auto-antonym...
humor. A particular form of understatement using negative syntax is called litotes. This is not to be confused with euphemism, where a polite phrase is used...
at the ears! Adynaton, an impossible form of hyperbole Figure of speech Litotes and meiosis, forms of deliberate understatement Tautology (language) "hyperbole"...
encompass various other literary devices such as hyperbole and its opposite, litotes, conscious naïveté, and others. Dramatic irony provides the audience with...
The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase is a non-fiction book by Mark Forsyth published in 2013. The book explains classical...
The primitive koa finch (Rhodacanthis litotes) is an extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper in the subfamily Carduelinae of the family Fringillidae...
Internal rhyme: using two or more rhyming words in the same sentence. Litotes: an understatement achieved by negating the opposite statement, such as...
from her" to "I saw no shadow of another parting from her". As Pip uses litotes, "no shadow of another parting", it is ambiguous whether Pip and Estella...
used to, is frequently a difficulty in producing a readable translation. Litotes is a form of dramatic understatement employed by the author for ironic...
overcoming hardships. The metaphors in her poetry serve as "coding", or litotes, for meanings understood by other Blacks, but her themes and topics apply...
pairs of collocation in which the order of the words cannot be reversed Litotes, a form of understatement for emphasis Merism, a figure of speech in which...
or similar as understatements ("not unappealing", "not bad", etc.) see litotes. Languages have a variety of grammatical rules for converting affirmative...
is quite common in Quebec French to describe something positive using litotes, such as pas laid (not ugly) for beautiful or pas pire (not worst) for...
Notation Double Entry Litotes Metaphorically Retrograde Surprises Dream Prognostication Synchysis The Rainbow Word Game Hesitation Precision The Subjective...
used by specific group. Kairos – "timing" or "the right circumstances". Litotes – stating a positive by negating the negative; a form of understatement...
Ngunnawal language word thought to mean "women's breasts" or "meeting place". Litotes, such as "not bad", "not much" and "you're not wrong", are also used.[citation...
enjambments, alliterations, apostrophes, synecdoches, anastrophes and a litotes. Romano Luperini, Pietro Catadi, Lidia Marchiani, Franco Marchese, Il nuovo...
contradictory. This distinction also arises in natural language in the form of litotes. In Hilbert-style deductive systems for propositional logic, double negation...
advantage. — The Hirohito surrender broadcast A subtype of understatement is litotes, which uses negation: Heatwaves are not rare in the summer. Irony is the...
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