Definition of calumny
calumnies
1 : a misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation denounced his opponent for his defamatory insinuations and calumny
2 : the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to harm another's reputation He was the target of calumny for his unpopular beliefs.
calumniously
adverbFrom the M-W Editors
calumny was our Word of the Day on 12/10/2014. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Examples of calumny in a Sentence
They uttered calumnies against him.
He was the target of calumny for his unpopular beliefs.
Recent Examples of calumny from the Web
-
There’s no doubt that liberals are angry, but ask yourself: Shouldn’t everyone, left, right and center, be furious over Russia’s efforts to inject calumny and falsehood into the American political bloodstream?
-
His calumny was condemned even by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'calumny.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Calumny made an appearance in these famous words from Shakespeare's Hamlet: "If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry: be thou chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, go." The word had been in the English language for a while, though, before Hamlet uttered it. It first entered English in the 15th century and comes from the Middle French word calomnie of the same meaning. Calomnie, in turn, derives from the Latin word calumnia, (meaning "false accusation," "false claim," or "trickery"), which itself traces to the Latin verb calvi, meaning "to deceive."
Origin and Etymology of calumny
Middle English calumnye, from Medieval French & Latin; Medieval French calomnie, from Latin calumnia, from calvi to deceive; perhaps akin to Old English hōlian to slander, Greek kēlein to beguile
CALUMNY Defined for English Language Learners
calumny
playDefinition of calumny for English Language Learners
-
: an untrue statement that is made to damage someone's reputation; also : the act of making such statements
Learn More about calumny
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for calumny Spanish Central: Translation of calumny Nglish: Translation of calumny for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up calumny? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!