libelous

adjective

li·​bel·​ous ˈlī-b(ə-)ləs 

variants or libellous

: constituting or including a libel : defamatory

a libelous statement

Synonyms of libelous

• erroneous
• defamatory
• slanderous
• incorrect
• scandalous
• calumnious
• false

Examples of libelous in a Sentence

libelous statements about a celebrity for which the tabloid was sued

Recent Examples on the Web

Some typical British editor got scared because everything is potentially libelous. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019

In recent weeks, though, her group has doubled in size, and while in the past there were only two or three posts per day, Mitchell and her new moderators now have to wade through 60-plus comments ranging from helpful to libelous. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025

Robinson was sentenced late last year to a year and a half in prison due to violating a court order prohibiting him from repeating libelous allegations about a Syrian refugee, and Musk has been calling for his release. — Tara Suter, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025

Questions concern how the courts would assess who or what might be responsible for faulty algorithms or other flaws in system design and whether a robot was negligent or malicious when disseminating libelous content damaging individuals or organizations. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

libelous

adjective

li·​bel·​ous

variants or libellous

ˈlī-b(ə-)ləs 

: being a libel

Legal Definition

libelous

adjective

li·​bel·​ous

variants also libellous

ˈlī-bə-ləs 

: constituting or including libel

a libelous magazine article