understate

[ uhn-der-steyt ]
See synonyms for understate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),un·der·stat·ed, un·der·stat·ing.
  1. 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.

Origin of understate

1
First recorded in 1815–25; under- + state

Other words from understate

  • un·der·state·ment [uhn-der-steyt-muhnt, uhn-der-steyt-], /ˌʌn dərˈsteɪt mənt, ˈʌn dərˌsteɪt-/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use understate in a sentence

  • It is probable that Williams under-stated the revenue, but it is certain that the income, apart from gratuities, was insufficient.

    A Book About Lawyers | John Cordy Jeaffreson
  • Whether they are on the whole exaggerated or under-stated, it is now impossible to say.

    Black Rebellion | Thomas Wentworth Higginson
  • But an accident,” says he, “occurring again and again in the same manner under stated conditions ceases to be such.

    The Book of Khalid | Ameen Rihani

British Dictionary definitions for understate

understate

/ (ˌʌndəˈsteɪt) /


verb
  1. to state (something) in restrained terms, often to obtain an ironic effect

  2. to state that (something, such as a number) is less than it is

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012