libel
[ lahy-buh l ]
/ ˈlaɪ bəl /
noun
Law.
- defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures.
- the act or crime of publishing it.
- a formal written declaration or statement, as one containing the allegations of a plaintiff or the grounds of a charge.
anything that is defamatory or that maliciously or damagingly misrepresents.
verb (used with object), li·beled, li·bel·ing or (especially British) li·belled, li·bel·ling.
to publish a libel against.
to misrepresent damagingly.
to institute suit against by a libel, as in an admiralty court.
Origin of libel
1250–1300; Middle English: little book, formal document, especially plaintiff's statement < Latin
libellus, diminutive of
liber book; for formation, see
castellum
OTHER WORDS FROM libel
in·ter·li·bel, verb (used with object), in·ter·li·beled, in·ter·li·bel·ing or (especially British) in·ter·li·belled, in·ter·li·bel·ling. un·li·beled, adjective un·li·belled, adjectiveWords nearby libel
libau,
libava,
libber,
libby,
libeccio,
libel,
libel tourism,
libel tourist,
libelant,
libelee,
libeler
Example sentences from the Web for libeling
British Dictionary definitions for libeling
libel
/ (ˈlaɪbəl) /
noun
law
- the publication of defamatory matter in permanent form, as by a written or printed statement, picture, etc
- the act of publishing such matter
any defamatory or unflattering representation or statement
ecclesiastical law
a claimant's written statement of claim
Scots law
the formal statement of a charge
verb -bels, -belling or -belled or US -bels, -beling or -beled (tr)
Derived forms of libel
libeller or libelist, noun libellous or libelous, adjectiveWord Origin for libel
C13 (in the sense: written statement), hence C14 legal sense: a plaintiff's statement, via Old French from Latin
libellus a little book, from
liber a book
Cultural definitions for libeling
libel
A written, printed, or pictorial statement that unjustly defames someone publicly. Prosecution of libel as a punishable offense puts some measure of restriction on freedom of the press under the First Amendment (see also First Amendment).