libel
English · Thesaurus
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libel
- /ˈlaɪbəl/
Rhymes with -aɪbəl
Where it comes from
From Middle English libel, from Old French libelle, from Latin libellus (“petition”, literally “booklet”). Doublet of libelle.
noun libels
- A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
- The act or tort of displaying such a statement publicly.
- Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.
- A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of their cause of action, and of the relief they seek. These provisions of law being in force, the steamer Rio Grande, owned, as was alleged, by persons in Mexico, being in the port of Mobile, in the Southern District of Alabama, certain materialmen, on the 26th of November, 1867, filed separate libels against her in the district court for the said dist
- A brief writing of any kind, especially a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc. a libel of forsaking [divorcement]
verb libels · libeling · libelling · libeled · libelled
-
To defame (someone), especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.
He libelled her when he published that.
Similar: assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze
- To proceed against (goods, a ship, etc.) by filing a legal claim.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: defamation, slander, calumny, vilification, defame, slur, contempt, insult, denigration, throwing, ejaculation, smear, wording, bombing, disparagement, aspersion
Translations
Every language
noun defamatory false written statement
| Español | libelo |
|---|---|
| Português | calúnia |
| Français | calomnie f écrite, libelle |
| Deutsch | schriftliche Verleumdung |
| Ελληνικά | λίβελλος lívellos, λιβελλογράφημα livellográfima |
| Русский | клевета́ klevetá, диффама́ция diffamácija |
| العربية | تشهير tašhīr, قذف qad̠f |
noun act or crime
| Português | difamação |
|---|---|
| Français | calomnie f écrite |
| Deutsch | schriftliche Verleumdung |
| Italiano | diffamazione |
| Ελληνικά | συκοφαντική δυσφήμηση sykofantikí dysfímisi |
| Русский | клевета́ klevetá, диффама́ция diffamácija |
noun any defamatory writing
| Português | difamação, libelo |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Schmähschrift |
| Ελληνικά | λιβελλογράφημα livellográfima, σάτιρα sátira |
| Русский | пасквиль paskvilʹ |
noun statement by the plaintiff
| Português | libelo |
|---|---|
| Русский | жа́лоба žáloba, исковое заявле́ние iskovoje zajavlénije |
verb to defame someone
| Español | libelar (desus.) |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 讒謗 /谗谤 chánbàng |
| Português | difamar, libelar |
| Deutsch | (schriftlich) verleumden |
| Română | defăima |
| Русский | клевета́ть klevetátʹ, наклевета́ть naklevetátʹ, оклеветать oklevetatʹ, дискредитировать diskreditirovatʹ, позорить pozoritʹ, опозорить opozoritʹ |
Talk about this word "libel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/libel. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. libel. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/libel "libel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/libel.Cite this
@misc{libel_2026,
title = {libel},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/libel},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
