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defamation

American  
[def-uh-mey-shuhn] / ˌdɛf əˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act of defaming; false or unjustified injury of the good reputation of another, as by slander or libel; calumny.

    She sued the magazine for defamation of character.
defamation British  
/ ˌdɛfəˈmeɪʃən /

noun

  1. law the injuring of a person's good name or reputation Compare libel slander

  2. the act of defaming or state of being defamed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Commonly Confused

See slander.

Etymology

Origin of defamation

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; replacing (by analogy with defame ) Middle English diffamacioun, from Medieval Latin diffāmātiōn- (stem of diffāmātiō ), equivalent to Latin diffāmāt(us) (past participle of diffāmāre; defame ) + -iōn- noun suffix ( -ion )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Another former Drone to Home volunteer was also sent a fake legal letter, accusing her of defamation after she raised concerns about the charity with a friend.

From BBC

The Dallas-based energy conglomerate accused Greenpeace of orchestrating violence and defamation during the controversial construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline nearly a decade ago.

From Barron's

"The club regrets the defamation campaign of which the player has been a victim."

From BBC

Days after lodging her complaint, Lively sued Baldoni and several member of his publicity team for defamation, seeking unspecified damages.

From MarketWatch

His statement provoked a strong reaction from the campus's student collective, which is threatening to sue him for defamation.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.