Euphemism
A mild or indirect word or phrase substituted for one considered harsh or blunt.
A euphemism softens an uncomfortable subject—death, illness, wrongdoing—by naming it gently, as in “passed away” for died. Writers use euphemism to reveal social discomfort, characters’ evasions, or the way language can disguise hard truths. It can be tender or, in satire, quietly damning.
Example
The regime’s euphemistic names, such as calling its propaganda arm the Ministry of Truth, show how sanitized language conceals brutality.
1984 · George Orwell