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View synonyms for libel

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)

, li·beled, li·bel·ing or (especially British) li·belled, li·bel·ling.
  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
“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


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
“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

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 ).


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Confusables Note

See slander.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈlibeller, noun
  • ˈlibellous, adjective
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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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences

This decision revolutionized libel law and has guided how the Supreme Court and lower courts have interpreted the First Amendment in the subsequent decades.

Yet under Alabama’s strict libel laws, Sullivan still won his lawsuit, with a jury awarding him $500,000 in damages, the largest libel verdict in the United States at that time.

By 1961, the Times confronted $7 million in potential libel judgments and the possibility of bankruptcy.

In it, the Supreme Court said that even if a news report about a public figure was false, it couldn’t be the basis for a libel judgment unless it showed “reckless disregard” for the truth.

There is no reason that these platforms should not be held to the same libel standards as print publishers, broadcasters, or cable channels.

From Fortune

The McCann family is battling Amaral for damages in an ongoing libel case in Portugal.

A libel suit reverses the roles of plaintiff and defendant; the former must defend itself against the latter's charges.

Yitzhar spokesman says the settlement 'has won a number of libel suits against media groups and the Israel Police.'

According to Dershowitz, Corey called Harvard Law School and threatened to sue to the school for libel for his comments.

The bill aims to protect the IDF from libel by Israel detractors.

As the actions of slander and libel have been described, only two others require notice, mandamus and quo warranto.

If the editor forgets himself, as in the case cited, suit for libel is sure to be brought and often proves a serious thing.

Nor is it liable for libel in transmitting a telegram stating that a person had been bought up.

If A writes a libel, and B prints it and C publishes it, the person wronged may sue all jointly, or either one of them separately.

Another bill carried this session made some alterations in the law relating to defamation and libel.

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Related Words

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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.

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