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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

libel en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • līʹbəl
  • /ˈlaɪbəl/
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English libel, from Old French libelle, from Latin libellus (“petition”, literally “booklet”). Doublet of libelle.

Meanings

  1. (countable) A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
  2. (uncountable) The act or tort of displaying such a statement publicly.
  3. (countable) Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.
  4. (countable) A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of their cause of action, and of the relief they seek.
    • These provisions of law being in force, the steamer Rio Grande, owned, as was alleged, by persons in Mexico, being in the port of Mobile, in the Southern District of Alabama, certain materialmen, on the 26th of November, 1867, filed separate libels against her in the district court for the said district. 1873, United States Supreme Court, The Rio Grande, 86 U.S. 178,179
  5. (countable) A brief writing of any kind, especially a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc.
    • a libel of forsaking [divorcement]

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
libels Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

slander

Deriveds

libellize · libellous · antilibel · libelous

Hypernyms

defamation

Hyponyms

cyberlibel · Twibel · blasphemous libel · blood libel · McLibel

Relateds

libel chill · libel tourism

Translations (67)

cs hanopis (defamatory false written statement) · fi kunnianloukkauskanne (statement by the plaintiff) · mk клевета (defamatory false written statement) · pt libelo (statement by the plaintiff) · el σάτιρα (any defamatory writing) · cs pomluva (act or crime) · ru диффама́ция (defamatory false written statement) · da injurie (defamatory false written statement) · scn calugna (any defamatory writing) · sv förtal (defamatory false written statement) · ca libel (defamatory false written statement) · ru диффама́ция (act or crime) · fr calomnie f écrite (act or crime) · it diffamazione (act or crime) · el λιβελλογράφημα (defamatory false written statement) · bg пасквил (any defamatory writing) · pt libelo (any defamatory writing) · ca difamació (act or crime) · bg клевета (defamatory false written statement) · da æresfornærmelse (act or crime) · bg донос (defamatory false written statement) · de Schmähschrift (any defamatory writing) · da smædeskrift (any defamatory writing) · hy զրպարտություն (defamatory false written statement) · da ærekrænkelse (defamatory false written statement) · fi häväistyskirjoitus (defamatory false written statement) · el συκοφαντική δυσφήμηση (act or crime) · da bagvaskelse (defamatory false written statement) · fi kirjallinen kunnianloukkaus (defamatory false written statement) · scn diffamazziuni (act or crime) · sv smädeskrift (defamatory false written statement) · fr calomnie f écrite (defamatory false written statement) · scn calugna (act or crime) · es libelo (defamatory false written statement) · fi kirjallinen kunnianloukkaus (act or crime) · ru клевета́ (act or crime) · tl paninirang-puri (defamatory false written statement) · eo kalumnio (defamatory false written statement) · sv förtal (act or crime) · pt difamação (any defamatory writing) · da bagvaskelse (act or crime) · da æresfornærmelse (defamatory false written statement) · ru клевета́ (defamatory false written statement) · da injurie (act or crime) · fi kirjallinen herjaus (defamatory false written statement) · ru пасквиль (any defamatory writing) · scn diffamazziuni (defamatory false written statement) · ar قذف (defamatory false written statement) · da ærekrænkelse (act or crime) · el λίβελλος (defamatory false written statement) · nl smaadschrift (any defamatory writing) · hy զրպարտություն (act or crime) · ru жа́лоба (statement by the plaintiff) · de schriftliche Verleumdung (act or crime) · sv ärekränkning (act or crime) · pt calúnia (defamatory false written statement) · cy enllib (act or crime) · scn calugna (defamatory false written statement) · sv ärekränkning (defamatory false written statement) · de schriftliche Verleumdung (defamatory false written statement) · fr libelle (defamatory false written statement) · el λιβελλογράφημα (any defamatory writing) · ru исковое заявле́ние (statement by the plaintiff) · pt difamação (act or crime) · ga leabhal (act or crime) · ar تشهير (defamatory false written statement) · scn diffamazziuni (any defamatory writing)

libel en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • līʹbəl
  • /ˈlaɪbəl/
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English libel, from Old French libelle, from Latin libellus (“petition”, literally “booklet”). Doublet of libelle.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To defame (someone), especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.
    • But vvhat ſo pure, vvhich envious tongues vvill ſpare? / Some vvicked vvits have libell'd all the fair. 1709, Alexander Pope, “January and May; or, The Merchant’s Tale, from Chaucer”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, →OCLC, page 203:
    • He libelled her when he published that.
  2. (transitive) To proceed against (goods, a ship, etc.) by filing a legal claim.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
libeled Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part US lexicographic
libeled Tense=Past US lexicographic
libels Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
libelled Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part UK lexicographic
libelled Tense=Past UK lexicographic
libeling Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part US lexicographic
libelling Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part UK lexicographic

Coordinates

slander

Deriveds

libelist · libellist · libelee · libeler · belibel · libeller · libelant · unlibelled

Hypernyms

defame

Relateds

defamation

Synonyms

smirch · stain · disparage · vilipend · dirty · blur · forgab · libel · tarnish · scandal · wrong · drag through the mud · backbite · bewray · slag · speak ill of · villainize · talk shit · discredit · unflatter · deprave · forspeak · trash-talk · defame · chat shite · traduce · cloud · slander · revile · disrepute · reproach · demonize · assassinate · talk shite · muddy · asperse · detract · shit-talk · chat shit · blemish · besmear · blaze · vilify · spatter · denigrate · sully · malign · blame · calumny · infamize · belibel · depreciate · besmirch · torch · calumniate · blot · disgrace · badmouth · spot · stab · lampoon · monsterize · smear · diss · talk trash · foul · blacken · befoul

Translations (31)

ro defăima (to defame someone) · nn sverta (to defame someone) · ru наклевета́ть (to defame someone) · tr hakaret etmek (to defame someone) · ru позорить (to defame someone) · grc διαβάλλω (to defame someone) · sv ärekränka (to defame someone) · ru дискредитировать (to defame someone) · pt difamar (to defame someone) · da sværte (to defame someone) · bg злепоставям (to defame someone) · mk клевети (to defame someone) · ru клевета́ть (to defame someone) · mk наклевети (to defame someone) · gl difamar (to defame someone) · de (schriftlich) verleumden (to defame someone) · sv smutskasta (to defame someone) · bg клеветя (to defame someone) · tr karalamak (to defame someone) · cmn 讒謗 /谗谤 (to defame someone) · ru оклеветать (to defame someone) · da bagtale (to defame someone) · sk ohovoriť (to defame someone) · es libelar (desus.) (to defame someone) · tr iftira etmek (to defame someone) · pt libelar (to defame someone) · hu rágalmaz (to defame someone) · cs pomluvit (to defame someone) · da bagvaske (to defame someone) · ru опозорить (to defame someone) · sv förtala (to defame someone)