as in libelous
causing or intended to cause unjust injury to a person's good name
defamatory remarks that were published in the newspaper
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Recent Examples of defamatory
For example, if a reader is told that a person has been convicted of 35 burglaries, when the number of burglary convictions is actually 34, that type of minor error is unlikely to be deemed defamatory.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 June 2026
On January 15, 2025, Baldoni filed suit against Lively; her husband, Ryan Reynolds; and their publicist, insisting that her claims of mistreatment were defamatory.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 14 May 2026
Everyone in our state should renounce and denounce these defamatory attacks.
—Ashley Paul, CBS News, 12 May 2026
After his tokens were frozen, Sun repeatedly posted on social media in comments World Liberty Financial alleges were defamatory.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 4 May 2026
Firstly, the first lady played no part in the defamatory labeling by her husband.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 May 2026
The sites mix factual assertions about their targets with unsubstantiated conspiracies and defamatory claims of misconduct ranging from extortion and embezzlement to drug dealing and prostitution.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
In Near, the Court considered the constitutionality of a Minnesota public nuisance statute that allowed authorities to shut down scandalous and defamatory periodicals.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
The parents and other relatives of children killed in the shooting said Jones’ defamatory claims haunted them for years and led to harassment and death threats.
—Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 June 2026
On January 15, 2025, Baldoni filed suit against Lively; her husband, Ryan Reynolds; and their publicist, insisting that her claims of mistreatment were defamatory.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 14 May 2026
Everyone in our state should renounce and denounce these defamatory attacks.
—Ashley Paul, CBS News, 12 May 2026
After his tokens were frozen, Sun repeatedly posted on social media in comments World Liberty Financial alleges were defamatory.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 4 May 2026
Firstly, the first lady played no part in the defamatory labeling by her husband.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 May 2026
The sites mix factual assertions about their targets with unsubstantiated conspiracies and defamatory claims of misconduct ranging from extortion and embezzlement to drug dealing and prostitution.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
In Near, the Court considered the constitutionality of a Minnesota public nuisance statute that allowed authorities to shut down scandalous and defamatory periodicals.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
The parents and other relatives of children killed in the shooting said Jones’ defamatory claims haunted them for years and led to harassment and death threats.
—Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defamatory
Adjective
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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,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
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Breuer also accused Moore of using a Jan. 26 news conference, four days after the building was evacuated, to spread falsehoods about the company, which Breuer said could be deemed libelous.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That assumption is erroneous—and dangerous.—
David Capablanca,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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Technology should be developed to track the same digital paths that erroneous content traveled, correcting the record along the way.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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The group’s ads on his past felony bank fraud charges were decried by Ford as slanderous.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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Keefer called these claims baseless and slanderous.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defamatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defamatory. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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