plural libels
: the act of publishing a false statement that causes people to have a bad opinion of someone
He sued the newspaper for libel.
The newspaper was found guilty of libel.
The newspaper's attorneys argued that the article was not a libel.
libels; US libeled or chiefly British libelled; US libeling or chiefly British libelling
: to write and publish a false statement that causes people to have a bad opinion of (someone)
The jury found that the article libeled him.
Cite this Entry
“Libel.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/libel. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.
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