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Defamatory: meaning, definitions and examples

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defamatory

 

[ dɪˈfæmət(ə)ri ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

legal

Harmful and false statements about someone, damaging their reputation or character.

Synonyms

calumnious, libelous, slanderous

Examples of usage

  • The article contained defamatory remarks about the politician.
  • She filed a lawsuit against the company for publishing defamatory content about her.
Context #2 | Adjective

general

Tending to harm someone's reputation by making false statements.

Synonyms

damaging, hurtful, malicious

Examples of usage

  • The author was accused of writing defamatory comments about his ex-colleague.
  • It is important to avoid making defamatory remarks about others.

Translations

Translations of the word "defamatory" in other languages:

🇵🇹 difamatório

🇮🇳 मानहानि

🇩🇪 verleumderisch

🇮🇩 fitnah

🇺🇦 наклепницький

🇵🇱 oszczerczy

🇯🇵 名誉毀損

🇫🇷 diffamatoire

🇪🇸 difamatorio

🇹🇷 iftira niteliğinde

🇰🇷 비방하는

🇸🇦 تشهيري

🇨🇿 pomlouvačný

🇸🇰 ohováračský

🇨🇳 诽谤的

🇸🇮 obrekljiv

🇮🇸 meiðandi

🇰🇿 жала жапқан

🇬🇪 ცილისმწამებლური

🇦🇿 böhtan xarakterli

🇲🇽 difamatorio

Etymology

The word 'defamatory' originates from the Latin word 'diffamatorius', which means 'slanderous'. The concept of defamation has been present in legal systems for centuries, with the aim of protecting individuals from false and harmful statements that can damage their reputation. In modern times, the term 'defamatory' is commonly used in legal contexts to describe statements that can harm someone's character or reputation.

See also: defamation.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #19,759, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.