Litotes is a form of understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its opposite. It is a restrained, often ironic way of saying something positive.

“Not bad” for “good,” “no small achievement” for “a great achievement,” and “not unwelcome” for “welcome” are everyday instances. Classical and biblical rhetoric used litotes for emphasis through restraint. The figure can convey modesty, dry humor, or a deliberate coolness of tone. It invites the audience to supply the stronger positive meaning.

Litotes differs from simple understatement by its specific use of double negation or negation of the contrary. It is common in English and in many other languages. Overused, it can sound evasive or mannered; used with precision, it adds a layer of civilized indirection to the expression of praise or acknowledgment.

When a speaker says the opposite of the negative in order to affirm the positive, the figure is litotes.