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The term is is commonly used in U.S. English to refer to a type of rhetoric whereby a statement or assertion is made with the intention to put across the opposite meaning. E.g. "Oh I ''really'' like your coat." In British English this is more commonly referred to as [[sarcasm]].  Whether a particular statement is construed as irony or sarcasm can often be a matter of opinion.  The Sarcasm Society <ref> http://www.sarcasmsociety.com/howtorecognizeirony/</ref> offers the following distinction:

The term is is commonly used in U.S. English to refer to a type of [[rhetoric]] whereby a statement or assertion is made with the intention to put across the opposite meaning. E.g. "Oh I ''really'' like your coat." In British English this is more commonly referred to as [[sarcasm]].  Whether a particular statement is construed as irony or sarcasm can often be a matter of opinion.  The Sarcasm Society <ref> http://www.sarcasmsociety.com/howtorecognizeirony/</ref> offers the following distinction:

:'''Sarcasm ''' can be illustrated by the speaker saying, "I appreciate your help.", when no help was provided to the speaker. However, when the speaker says speaker says, "It was a bit cold.", after losing a leg due to frost bite, this understatement can be construed as '''irony'''.   

:'''Sarcasm ''' can be illustrated by the speaker saying, "I appreciate your help.", when no help was provided to the speaker. However, when the speaker says speaker says, "It was a bit cold.", after losing a leg due to frost bite, this understatement can be construed as '''irony'''.   

'''Verbal irony''', when an author says one thing and means something else. This is sometimes called 'Socratic Irony' and is used by teachers pretending to be foolish or ignorant, to expose the ignorance of another.  

'''Verbal irony''', when an author says one thing and means something else. This is sometimes called 'Socratic Irony' and is used by teachers pretending to be foolish or ignorant, to expose the ignorance of another.  

'''Dramatic irony''', when an audience perceives something that a character in literature does not know. The effect can be tragic, such as in 'Romeo & Juliet', where the fate of the characters is sealed at the start of the play, or comedic, such as in 'Twelfth Night' where Malvolio is duped by Maria and Toby. Such irony can work in reverse, where some characters in drama understand their actions, but the audience is duped into thinking something else. Such is the situation in The Village, or The Sixth Sense.  

'''Dramatic irony''', when an audience perceives something that a character in literature does not know. The effect can be tragic, such as in '[[Romeo & Juliet]]', where the fate of the characters is sealed at the start of the play, or comedic, such as in '[[Twelfth Night]]' where Malvolio is duped by Maria and Toby. Such irony can work in reverse, where some characters in drama understand their actions, but the audience is duped into thinking something else. Such is the situation in [[The Village]], or [[The Sixth Sense]].  

'''Irony of situation''', a discrepency between the expected result and actual results. An example of this definition of ''irony'' might be a boxer betting his life savings on a fight he expects to lose, and then accidentally winning the fight.

'''Irony of situation''', a discrepency between the expected result and actual results. An example of this definition of ''irony'' might be a boxer betting his life savings on a fight he expects to lose, and then accidentally winning the fight.