defamation — the action of damaging the good reputation of someone; slander or libel
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the action of damaging the good reputation of someone; slander or libel
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌdefəˈmeɪʃən/
Example Sentences
- The politician claimed that the gossip blog's articles constituted defamation.
- My mom threatened to sue the neighborhood cat for defamation after it knocked over her garden gnomes.
- The restaurant owner filed a defamation case against the food blogger who wrote harsh reviews.
defamation
NOUN[/ˌdefəˈmeɪʃən/]
the action of damaging the good reputation of someone; slander or libel
A tabloid headline spreads false defamation, damaging the actress's reputation overnight.
False information attacks truth's formation!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin defamationem, the noun form of defamare, meaning 'to spread bad reports' or 'to damage someone's reputation'. In ancient Rome, the act of diminishing another person's fama (reputation or good name) was subject to legal penalty.
Breakdown
de- (away, down) + fama (reputation, fame) + -tion (noun suffix indicating an action or process). The prefix de- indicates removal or reduction of the root fama.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The politician claimed that the gossip blog's articles constituted defamation.”
“My mom threatened to sue the neighborhood cat for defamation after it knocked over her garden gnomes.”
“The restaurant owner filed a defamation case against the food blogger who wrote harsh reviews.”
“He joked that his terrible cooking skills were a form of self-defamation.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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