defamation
noun
Did you know?
Harming someone's reputation in speech with falsehoods is known as slander, and doing the same thing in writing is known as libel (which sometimes includes speech as well). Any ordinary citizen who can claim to have suffered harm as a result of such defamation may sue. So why aren't politicians suing all the time? Because an exception is made for "public persons" (a category that includes most other celebrities as well), who must also prove that any such statement was made with "reckless disregard for the truth". And although, even by that standard, public persons are defamed all the time, most of them have decided that it's better to just grin and bear it.
Synonyms of defamation
Examples of defamation in a Sentence
Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
The Bhumjaithai party leader is staunch royalist who is firmly against any amendments to lese majeste, Thailand’s strict royal defamation law.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
The landlord has filed a defamation lawsuit against the tenants.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
The men, who denied any wrongdoing, filed retaliatory defamation lawsuits—turning their accusers’ accounts over to the court of public opinion.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defamation
Cite this Entry
“Defamation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defamation. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
defamation
noun
W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
