Commonly Confused Words: Overstated/Understated

Can your main argument “not be overstated enough?” Or should that be understated?

Overstate (verb):

• Overstate is a verb that means “to describe in an exaggerated way”: “Defendant overstates his claim that no court has ever granted this relief before.”
• “Can’t be Overstated”: This phrase should be reserved for only the most important points, since it means that the point is so important that you can’t exaggerate the importance of it.

Understate (verb):

• Understate is a verb that means “to describe in a way that minimizes the importance or relevance of something”: “Defendant understates the relevance of the Ninth Circuit’s most recently ruling—it governs the outcome of this case.”

Rule—Overstate/Understate: For EXAGGERATION use overstate; for MINIMIZATION use understate.

• Mnemonic: If their emphasis is over-the-top, use overstate; if their emphasis attempts to conceal or keep something under wraps, use understate.

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