Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The act of defaming; calumny.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The act of defaming; the wrong of injuring another's reputation without good reason or justification; aspersion.
- n. [Formerly defamation was used more with reference to slander or spoken words. In modern use slander is spoken defamation and libel is published defamation. Both are subjects for civil action for damages. Libel alone is usually punishable criminally, the common test of criminality being that it tends to a breach of the peace.] Synonyms Detraction, aspersion, backbiting, scandal, libel.
Wiktionary
- n. Act of injuring another's reputation by any slanderous communication, written or oral; the wrong of maliciously injuring the good name of another; slander; detraction; calumny; aspersion.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. Act of injuring another's reputation by any slanderous communication, written or oral; the wrong of maliciously injuring the good name of another; slander; detraction; calumny; aspersion.
WordNet 3.0
- n. an abusive attack on a person's character or good name
- n. a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions
Examples
“The term defamation is often used to encompass both libel and slander.”
“His indignant countrymen actually caused him to be prosecuted in the native courts, on a charge nearly equivalent to what we term defamation of character; but the old fellow persisting in his assertion, and no invalidating proof being adduced, the plantiffs were cast in the suit, and the cannibal”
“His indignant countrymen actually caused him to be prosecuted in the native courts, on a charge nearly equivalent to what we term defamation of character; but the old fellow persisting in his assertion, and no invalidating proof being adduced, the plaintiffs were cast in the suit, and the cannibal reputation of the defendant firmly established.”
“Every republication of a defamation is a new publication and gives rise to a separate cause of action.”
“In 2009, 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' alum Danielle Staub was sued by ex-husband Kevin Maher for what he called defamation of character.”
“African National Congress deputy-secretary Cheryl Carolus also warned the ANC would consult lawyers and possibly take legal action for what she called defamation if Khoza failed to disclose his sources by 6pm on Wednesday.”
“Galliano also said that he has begun legal proceedings to pursue what he called "defamation and the threats made against me.”
“More than four years and a global economic collapse later, Siegel has filed a $75,000 lawsuit against the filmmakers and the Sundance Film Festival, where the documentary premieres on January 19, for what he calls defamation of character.”
“Muslim nations are attempting to outlaw what they call the defamation of their religion.”
“I am an Independent and in no way support Ms. Palin's political ambitions, but I must say that unfounded media defamation is terrible and not to be tolerated by thoughtful human beings of any persuasion.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘defamation’.
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POL - scandalous (single words only)
acolyte, archrival, backhander, backlash, baksheesh, bashing, boo, bribery, cadre, chicanery, clash, coercion and 256 more...
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-tion
vacation, suggestion, donation, condition, education, examination, federation, generation, imagination, invention, operation, pollution and 166 more...
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POL - scandalous (words and collocati...
Words and collocations associated with political scandal
blow the whistle, boo, cronyism and rigging, democratic deficit, denigrate, dirty linen, fiasco, finger pointing a..., graft, hidden account, hush money, illicit financing... and 578 more...
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JURI - courtroom speak
Legal glossary with special focus on courtroom vocabulary
accused, acquittal, ADA, adjournment, adjudication, affidavit, affirmed, aggravated range, aggravating factors, allegation, alleged, answer and 794 more...
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Censure (n.)
aspersion, calumny, contumely, diatribe, obloquy, opprobrium, philippic, tirade, vilipendency, tantalization, admonition, beration and 23 more...
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Citicize/Criticism
belittle, berate, calumny, castigate, decry, defamation, disparage, excoriate, gainsay, harangue, impugn, inveigh and 9 more...
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my GRE words
pedant, wizened, histrionic, logorrhea, frenetic, approbation, quibble, knell, acclivity, droog, prevarication, aplomb and 182 more...
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NTDW1
template, modal, sublingual, tandem, polycentric, septuagenarian, token, irrevocable, denotive, augural, aberrant, phlebotomy and 1188 more...
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colin's Words
carmine, puce, asinine, phrenetic, blight, edelweiss, supine, clusterfuck, meme, blobject, doppelganger, mesmerism and 105 more...
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Vocab++
Words as I learn them.
fetid, mezzanine, hiatus, austerity, subliminal, resplendent, implacable, impugn, debase, exiguous, cirque, holster and 2538 more...
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I am the law!
Words I learnt at law school
appeal, blackletter, contract, dictum, headnote, judgment, litigation, malfeasance, negligence, plaintiff, quantum, remedy and 216 more...
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Critischism
Divisive devices; emissary of Momus.
peevology, pessimize, philippic, philopolemic, billingsgate, charientism, criticaster, ludification, flyting, miserabilism, misprize, admonish and 145 more...
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SAT PSAT ALPHABETICAL D
dais, dalliance, dank, daunt, daunting, dawdled, dearth, debacle, debase, debauchery, debilitate, debonair and 141 more...
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Sat Vocabulary List
abandon, abash, abate, abjure, ablution, abnegate, abominable, aboriginal, abortive, abrade, abridge, abrogate and 2155 more...
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ash
ash
abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abide, abject, abjure and 4874 more...
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Bergen
words related to Morednism, Christianity, Philosophy, Religion, and stuff
cul-de-sac, solipsism, a forbidding book, self-refuting, Luddite, desultory schooling, hort-listed, about-face, a significant cor..., corollary, em dash, exonerate and 24 more...
Tweets
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