Definition of defamation
law
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Examples of defamation in a Sentence
The article was full of lies and defamations.
accused the newspaper columnist of defamation of character
Recent Examples of defamation from the Web
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Gundersen’s wrongful termination and defamation case went to arbitration before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, an independent, non-government regulator which oversees the securities industry.
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Getty While the defamation lawsuit brought against Taylor Swift by David Mueller has been dismissed, the pop icon is still in court thanks to her countersuit.
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The D.J. filed suit against Swift in 2015 for defamation, after her team informed his employers of the alleged assault and Mueller was fired as a result days after the 2013 incident.
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The testimony was filed as part of the ongoing defamation lawsuit baseball's all-time hits leader filed last year against John Dowd, the man who investigated him on behalf of Major League Baseball in the late 1980s for betting on the game.
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Now, in response to Kesha's allegations, Dr. Luke is suing Kesha for defamation.
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People might find themselves on the wrong end of a defamation or libel lawsuit.
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Previous Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt suing the school and its athletic program for breach of contract and defamation of character.
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Any statement about Horowitz that is untrue and reputationally damaging could provide grounds for a possible defamation lawsuit.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defamation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Harming someone's reputation in speech with falsehoods is known as slander, and doing the same thing in writing is known as libel (which sometimes includes speech as well). Any ordinary citizen who can claim to have suffered harm as a result of such defamation may sue. So why aren't politicians suing all the time? Because an exception is made for "public persons" (a category that includes most other celebrities as well), who must also prove that any such statement was made with "reckless disregard for the truth". And although, even by that standard, public persons are defamed all the time, most of them have decided that it's better to just grin and bear it.
Origin and Etymology of defamation
defamation Synonyms
Synonyms
aspersing, blackening, calumniation, calumny, character assassination, slander, defaming, libel, libeling (or libelling), maligning, smearing, traducing, vilification, vilifyingRelated Words
aspersion, innuendo, muck, mud, smear; backbiting, detraction; abuse, invective, vituperation; attack, censure, criticism, denunciation, hatchet job; contempt, disdain, scorn; belittlement, denigration, disparagement; cattiness, despite, hatefulness, malevolence, malice, maliciousness, malignancy, malignity, meanness, nastiness, spite, spitefulness, spleen, venom, viciousnessNear Antonyms
acclaim, accolade, applause, commendation, praise; esteem, honor, respect; adulation, flattery; adoration, reverence, veneration, worshipOther Legal Terms
DEFAMATION Defined for English Language Learners
Law Dictionary
legal Definition of defamation
1
:communication to third parties of false statements about a person that injure the reputation of or deter others from associating with that person — see also libel, slander, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan — compare disparagement, false light, slander of title
2
:a defamatory communication
- every repetition of the defamation is a publication
- —W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
Learn More about defamation
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See words that rhyme with defamation Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for defamation Spanish Central: Translation of defamation Nglish: Translation of defamation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of defamation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about defamation
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