libelous

American  

[lahy-buh-luhs] / ˈlaɪ bə ləs /

especially British, libellous

adjective

1. containing, constituting, or involving a libel; maliciously defamatory.

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Other Word Forms

• libelously adverb
• nonlibelous adjective
• nonlibelously adverb
• unlibellous adjective
• unlibellously adverb
• unlibelous adjective
• unlibelously adverb

Etymology

Origin of libelous

First recorded in 1610–20; libel + -ous

Example Sentences

An individual can still be sued for defamation if they post something libelous on Facebook.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

After replacing the original judge and disqualifying Zenger’s counsel, the crown lost its case when a jury acquitted Zenger, even though under existing law the paper’s writings were libelous.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

He is suing various media organizations — including the board of the Pulitzer Prizes and the Des Moines Register and its parent company, Gannett — over journalism he claims was libelous or unfair.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2025

Other people were encumbered by concerns at the time, possibly about, you know, is that libelous?

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2024

In 1798, he commissioned James Callender, a notorious scandalmonger who had recently broken the story on Hamilton’s adulterous affair with Maria Reynolds, to write a libelous attack on Adams.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis