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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vilification
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
The vilification on the right of Renee Good in Minneapolis.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
Add the pathetic reality that Illinois is the very definition of unfriendliness for business development and job creation, and the only thing Pritzker and his accomplices can campaign on is the vilification of Trump, facts be damned.
—Paul Miller, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vilification
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
The vilification on the right of Renee Good in Minneapolis.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
Add the pathetic reality that Illinois is the very definition of unfriendliness for business development and job creation, and the only thing Pritzker and his accomplices can campaign on is the vilification of Trump, facts be damned.
—Paul Miller, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vilification
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vilification
Noun
-
Claiming defamation and invasion of privacy, seven deputies from the raid sued.—
Vanity Fair,
Vanity Fair,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The president and his allies continue to allege the machines deleted or switched votes in 2020, despite no supporting evidence and big money paid to Dominion in defamation settlements.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And there was a huge libel action against him that was taken out by a very brave writer called Deborah Lipstadt, who won against him.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In September 2024, Newsmax paid $40 million to settle another libel lawsuit with Smartmatic, another voting machine company, over claims that Smartmatic helped rig the 2020 election.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Her organization has drawn sharp criticism from pro-Israel groups.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Bart Jansen Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed criticism of the United States and Israel from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vilification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vilification. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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