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

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

Farrell’s lawsuit calls that statement libelous, but he is not suing for defamation or libel.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2025

But in a ruling on Dec. 8, Justice Matthew Nicklin said that lawyers for The Mail had a real chance to prove that the article reflected an “honest opinion,” as opposed to being libelous.

From New York Times • Jan. 19, 2024

"These are libelous allegations drafted by an individual with no lawyer, because no lawyer would associate themselves with this nonsense," Giuliani's attorney, Robert Costello, said at the time.

From Salon • May 16, 2023

While intended as a libelous description, Adams’s choice of words was literally correct.

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