
Fowler's A Dictionary of Modern English Usage says: The use of irony may require the concept of a double audience. Henry Watson Fowler, in The King's English, says, "any definition of irony-though hundreds might be given, and very few of them would be accepted-must include this, that the surface meaning and the underlying meaning of what is said are not the same." Also, Eric Partridge, in Usage and Abusage, writes that "Irony consists in stating the contrary of what is meant." The ironic form of simile, used in sarcasm, and some forms of litotes can emphasize one's meaning by the deliberate use of language which states the opposite of the truth, denies the contrary of the truth, or drastically and obviously understates a factual connection. Verbal, dramatic, and situational irony are often used for emphasis in the assertion of a truth. Irony can be categorized into different types, including verbal irony, dramatic irony, and situational irony.

Irony (from Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία eirōneía ' dissimulation, feigned ignorance' ), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. For other uses, see Irony (disambiguation).Ī stop sign ironically defaced with a plea not to deface stop signs, with a car parked within 30 feet of the below sign For the Alanis Morissette song, see Ironic (song).
