Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

defamatory

American  
[dih-fam-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / dɪˈfæm əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

adjective

  1. containing defamation; injurious to reputation; slanderous or libelous.

    She claimed that the article in the magazine was defamatory.
defamatory British  
/ -trɪ, dɪˈfæmətərɪ /

adjective

  1. injurious to someone's name or reputation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • defamatorily adverb
  • nondefamatory adjective
  • undefamatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of defamatory

First recorded in 1585–95; from Medieval Latin diffāmātōrius, equivalent to Latin diffāmā(re) ( defame ) + -tōrious -tory 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Cizeron, who is competing in next month's Milan-Cortina Winter Games with a new partner, has denounced "defamatory remarks" and is considering legal action.

From Barron's

Screenshots also showed messages containing defamatory statements appearing for some users.

From BBC

The Israeli Supreme Court upheld a ban on the film in 2022, deeming it "defamatory".

From Barron's

They said she "entirely denies the defamatory and unfounded criticism of her".

From BBC

Meanwhile, Ms Hansen had become aware of the Facebook group and contacted Ms O'Connor asking for it to be taken down, claiming that content posted in the group was defamatory - a claim Ms O'Connor rejected.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.