defamatory
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of defamatory
First recorded in 1585–95; from Medieval Latin diffāmātōrius, equivalent to Latin diffāmā(re) ( see defame) + -tōrious -tory 1
Explanation
Defamatory is a word used to describe statements that are untrue, slanderous, or libelous. Defamatory language often consists of harmful lies. Defamatory words — that is, words which defame — are words that can cause real damage. If someone said you were a secret unicorn hunter, that would be a silly, not defamatory, lie. If someone said you were a thief or a traitor, and you weren't, that would be defamatory. Public figures, like celebrities and politicians, are especially sensitive to defamatory statements about them.
Vocabulary lists containing defamatory
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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.
"If you did indeed make these vile and defamatory statements, stand behind them," he said in a new post on X. "If you did not make them, deny it."
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
“The producers used what could be stripped of context and reassembled to support a false and defamatory narrative unrelated to what she actually expressed,” reads the suit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Patel filed a $250 million suit last month against The Atlantic magazine and the author of the article, Sarah Fitzpatrick, calling it a "sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece."
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
The judge also found Hirst's LBC interview could be defamatory.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
She dismissed the idea; it was too uncomplimentary to herself, and too defamatory towards him.
From Belford's Magazine, Volume II, No. 8, January, 1889 by Various
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.
