Other

libel

Definition of libel

1 Law a published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation; a written defamation: he was found guilty of a libel on a Liverpool inspector of taxesCompare with slander.
[mass noun] the action or crime of publishing a libel:she sued two newspapers for libel [as modifier]:a libel action
a false and typically malicious statement about a person.
a thing that brings undeserved discredit on a person by misrepresentation.

[with object]

1 Law defame (someone) by publishing a libel:the jury found that he was libelled by a newspaper
make a false and typically malicious statement about.

2(in admiralty and ecclesiastical law) bring a suit against: if a ship does you any injury you libel the ship

Derivatives

Middle English (in the general sense 'a document, a written statement'): via Old French from Latin libellus, diminutive of liber 'book'

Double the l when adding endings which begin with a vowel to words which end in a vowel plus l (as in travel): (libels, libelling, libelled).

Definition of libel in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

More results for libel

More words in this category