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Difficulty: EasyFigurative Language and Figures of Speech in Context

Read the passage excerpt below:

"When the news of the company's sudden liquidation reached the workers, the managing director sought to calm the panic by describing the mass dismissals as merely 'a minor operational adjustment.'"

Which figure of speech is employed in the phrase 'a minor operational adjustment', and what is its contextual meaning?

  1. Euphemism, used to downplay and soften the harsh reality of widespread job losses.Answer
  2. B
    Hyperbole, used to deliberately exaggerate the scale of the company's restructuring.
  3. C
    Irony, used to openly mock and ridicule the laid-off employees.
  4. D
    Oxymoron, used to combine contradictory terms to reflect administrative confusion.

Answer

The expression 'a minor operational adjustment' is an example of euphemism, deployed in context to lessen the severity of mass lay-offs.
The correct option correctly identifies the figure of speech as euphemism. The director intentionally uses mild, polite, and neutral phrasing ('minor operational adjustment') to conceal and soften the harsh reality of severe job cuts.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the expression in context
The managing director uses the phrase 'a minor operational adjustment' when addressing workers who are about to suffer mass dismissals.
Contextual analysis reveals the contrast between the mild statement and the severe reality of losing employment.
2
Identify the literary device
Substituting a severe phrase ('mass dismissals') with a mild, harmless phrase ('minor operational adjustment') is euphemism.
Euphemism replaces harsh or offensive terms with milder, less direct expressions to avoid distress or backlash.

Key Concept

Figurative Language and Figures of Speech in Context (Euphemism)
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Figurative Language and Figures of Speech in Context

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