libel

[ lahy-buhl ]

noun

1. Law.
   1. defamation by written, printed, or broadcast words or pictures: Compare slander ( def 3 ).

      Intentionally or knowingly posting content that constitutes libel is prohibited.

   2. the act or crime of publishing or broadcasting a defamatory statement:

      The author was convicted of libel and sentenced to a yearlong jail term.

   3. a formal written declaration or statement, as one containing the allegations of a plaintiff or the grounds of a charge.
2. anything that is defamatory or that maliciously or damagingly misrepresents:

   He blames me for his getting kicked out of school, so he spread this libel against me in revenge.

verb (used with object)

libeled, libeling or (especially British) libelled, libelling.

1. to publish or broadcast a libel against:

   The journalist received a suspended three-year prison sentence for allegedly libeling the president in an online article.

2. to misrepresent damagingly:

   So it's just fine to smear and libel the writer, but it's not okay to call someone out for doing so?

3. to institute suit against by a libel, as in an admiralty court.

libel

/ ˈlaɪbəl /

noun

1. law
   1. the publication of defamatory matter in permanent form, as by a written or printed statement, picture, etc
   2. the act of publishing such matter
2. any defamatory or unflattering representation or statement
3. ecclesiastical law a claimant's written statement of claim
4. Scots law the formal statement of a charge

verb

1. law to make or publish a defamatory statement or representation about (a person)
2. to misrepresent injuriously
3. ecclesiastical law to bring an action against (a person) in the ecclesiastical courts

libel

1. A written, printed, or pictorial statement that unjustly defames someone publicly. Prosecution of libel as a punishable offense puts some measure of restriction on freedom of the press under the First Amendment (see also First Amendment ).

Confusables Note

See slander.

Derived Forms

• ˈlibeller, noun
• ˈlibellous, adjective

Other Words From

• in·ter·li·bel verb (used with object) interlibeled interlibeling or (especially British) interlibelled interlibelling
• un·li·beled adjective
• un·li·belled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of libel¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English: “little book, formal document, official statement,” from Latin libellus, diminutive of liber book; for formation, castellum

Word History and Origins

Origin of libel¹

C13 (in the sense: written statement), hence C14 legal sense: a plaintiff's statement, via Old French from Latin libellus a little book, from liber a book

Example Sentences

In a post on X, the Israeli foreign ministry's spokesman said the group was "once more spreading its blood libels... The truth is the complete opposite of HRW's lies".

From BBC

It’s not uncommon for media companies to settle libel cases to avoid such exposure.

From Los Angeles Times

One of Trump’s big applause lines at his rallies during the campaign was when he said he would take on the media and change the libel laws.

From Salon

Israel, which was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust, has adamantly rejected genocide allegations against it as an antisemitic ‘blood libel.’

From Los Angeles Times

Paul is also bringing a libel claim against one of his online detractors in the USA, for claims made about his motives.

From BBC

Related Words

• defamation

Libel Vs. Slander

What's the difference between libel and slander?

Libel and slander are both forms of defamation—the act of attacking someone’s character or reputation, especially by making false statements about them. The difference is that such statements are considered slander when they are simply spoken in the presence of other people, whereas they are considered libel when they are published or broadcast in some way, such as being written in an article, spoken on TV, or printed on a sign that’s posted in a public place.

Both words can also be used as verbs meaning to defame someone in such a way. In a legal context, libel and slander can both be considered crimes. For an action to be considered libel or slander, it must be proven to have done some damage to a person’s reputation. Slander is often much harder to prove because it involves simply saying something, whereas libel often involves a permanent record of the statement.

You can remember the difference by thinking about the first letter of each word: slander typically involves speaking, while libel typically involves a lasting document of what was said.

Here’s an example of libel and slander used correctly in a sentence.

Example: The court determined that the defendant’s statements constituted slander, but did not rise to the level of libel since they were not published or broadcast. 

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between libel and slander.

Quiz yourself on libel vs. slander!

Should libel or slander be used in the following sentence?

The magazine was sued for _____ after printing false accusations.