anti-SLAPP law

noun

an·​ti-SLAPP law ˌan-tē-ˈslap- 

ˌan-tī-

plural anti-SLAPP laws

: a law intended to prevent SLAPP suits

Ken Paulson, who directs the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, said anti-SLAPP laws are like "free-speech insurance." "The key to an anti-SLAPP law is to prevent people with a lot of money and resources from intimidating people from saying anything negative about them," he said.

—Kim Bellware

Examples of anti-SLAPP law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But in Friday’s motion, Lizzo’s lawyers argued that the anti-SLAPP law could also apply to the current case because of the creative nature of the work in question. —Bill Donahue, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2023

Both Schuman and Ruth have attempted to stop his counterclaims under the state’s anti-SLAPP laws but a judge rejected their requests. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2023

Winslow filed a motion to dismiss the case under California’s anti-SLAPP law. —Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above