defamation
/ˌdɛfəˈmeɪʃən/ noun
Forms defamations
- noun The act of injuring another person's reputation by any slanderous communication, written or oral; the wrong of maliciously injuring the good name of another. “She sued his ex-boyfriend for defamation and is seeking $14,000.”
Synonyms
aspersion calumny detraction false light libel slander aftertale calumniation obloquy traducement hatchet job denigration
Etymology
From Old French diffamacion (French diffamation), from Latin diffāmātiō. By surface analysis, defame + -ation.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Act of injuring another's reputation by any slanderous communication, written or oral; the wrong of maliciously injuring the good name of another; slander; detraction; calumny; aspersion.
Etymology [OE. diffamacioun, F. diffamation. See Defame.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “defamation”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details