as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
warned that the constant vilification of candidates for public office was undermining the people's faith in the political system
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Recent Examples of vilification
The man is due to appear before Brisbane Magistrates Court Saturday, to face a raft of charges including wilful damage, serious vilification or hate crime, dangerous driving and possession of a dangerous drug.
—
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
Despite the vilification that has become popular in some corners, my colleagues and I went to work every single day with a public health mindset.
—Richard Hughes Iv, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
Individual acts of wrongdoing became the pretext for the vilification of entire nationalities.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
With polls indicating that political polarization in the United States is at an all-time high, vilification, and even prosecution, of political opponents has risen as well.
—Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vilification
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
Despite the vilification that has become popular in some corners, my colleagues and I went to work every single day with a public health mindset.
—Richard Hughes Iv, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
Individual acts of wrongdoing became the pretext for the vilification of entire nationalities.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
With polls indicating that political polarization in the United States is at an all-time high, vilification, and even prosecution, of political opponents has risen as well.
—Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vilification
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vilification
Noun
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Alfie now faces four defamation lawsuits filed by Milei's close allies seeking millions in damages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Maxwell denied the allegations and sued Giuffre for defamation.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Prince Harry is being sued for libel by his former charity Sentebale.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
10 Apr. 2026
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Online filings show Harry and his friend, Mark Dyer, a former trustee at the charity, are being sued for either libel or slander.—
Brian Melley,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His first collection, Death of a Naturalist, was published by Faber and Faber in 1966 and was followed by eleven other volumes of poetry, as well as collections of literary criticism, anthologies, translations, and verse plays.—
Nick Laird,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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With Minnesota viewing them as soft, the Nuggets hardly seem bothered by the criticism.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vilification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vilification. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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