Libel: meaning, definitions and examples
📰
libel
[ ˈlaɪbəl ]
legal term
A published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written defamation.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- The newspaper was sued for libel after publishing false information about the politician.
- The celebrity won a libel case against the magazine that printed lies about him.
Translations
Translations of the word "libel" in other languages:
🇵🇹 difamação
🇮🇳 मानहानि
🇩🇪 Verleumdung
🇮🇩 fitnah
🇺🇦 наклеп
🇵🇱 zniesławienie
🇯🇵 名誉毀損
🇫🇷 diffamation
🇪🇸 difamación
🇹🇷 iftira
🇰🇷 명예 훼손
🇸🇦 تشهير
🇨🇿 pomluva
🇸🇰 ohováranie
🇨🇳 诽谤
🇸🇮 obrekovanje
🇮🇸 mannorðsmeið
🇰🇿 жала
🇬🇪 ცილისწამება
🇦🇿 böhtan
🇲🇽 difamación
Word origin
The word 'libel' originated from the Latin word 'libellus', meaning 'little book' or 'written statement'. In the legal context, libel has been a recognized offense for centuries, with early English common law cases establishing the principles of defamation. The evolution of libel laws has been shaped by landmark court cases and legislative reforms aimed at balancing freedom of speech with protection against false and damaging statements.