libel

 
Pronunciation: /ˈlʌɪb(ə)l/

noun

  • 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.
  • 2(in admiralty and ecclesiastical law) a plaintiff’s written declaration.

verb (libels, libelling, libelled; US libels, libeling, libeled)

[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

libeller

noun

Origin:

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

Spelling rule

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).