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
Christopher Harris, CBS News, 20 May 2026
During this time, Sabatini sued the Whitehead Institute and Knouse for defamation and other claims.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
Repeatedly, these men fail, largely because posts like Rajala’s are considered opinions protected by the First Amendment and defamation laws in states like Illinois.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
Baldoni, 42, denied her claims and filed a countersuit accusing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of defamation, igniting a public back-and-forth that was set to culminate in a federal trial beginning May 18.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 16 May 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 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
defamation
noun
W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
