litotes
noun
li·to·tes
ˈlī-tə-ˌtēz
ˈli-,
lī-ˈtō-ˌtēz
plural litotes
: understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary (as in "not a bad singer" or "not unhappy")
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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