Adjacent Words

Libel definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LI'BEL, n. [L. libellus, a little book, from liber, a book, from the sense of bark, and this from stripping separating. Hence liber, a book, and liber, free, are the same word.]
1. A defamatory writing, L. libellus, famosus. Hence, the epithet being omitted, libel expresses the same thing. Any book, pamphlet, writing or picture, containing representations, maliciously made or published, tending to bring a person into contempt, or expose him to public hatred and derision. The communication of such defamatory writing to a single person, is considered in law a publication. It is immaterial with respect to the essence of a libel, whether the matter of it is true or false, since the provocation and not the falsity is the thing to be punished criminally. But in a civil action, a libel must appear to be false, as well as scandalous.
In a more extensive sense, any blasphemous, treasonable or immoral writing or picture made public, is a libel, and punishable by law.
2. In the civil law, and in courts of admiralty, a declaration or charge in writing exhibited in court, particularly against a ship or goods, for violating the laws of trade or of revenue.
LI'BEL, v.t.
1. To defame or expose to public hatred and contempt by a writing or picture; to lampoon.
Some wicked wits have libeled all the fair.
2. To exhibit a charge against any thing in court, particularly against a ship or goods, for a violation of the laws of trade or revenue.
LI'BEL, v.i. To spread defamation, written or printed; with against. He libels against the peers of the realm. [Not now in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living person
2: the written statement of a plaintiff explaining the cause of action (the defamation) and any relief he seeks v
1: print slanderous statements against; "The newspaper was accused of libeling him"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, written declaration, from Anglo-French, from Latin libellus, diminutive of liber book Date: 14th century 1. a. a written statement in which a plaintiff in certain courts sets forth the cause of action or the relief sought b. archaic a handbill especially attacking or defaming someone 2. a. a written or oral defamatory statement or representation that conveys an unjustly unfavorable impression b. (1) a statement or representation published without just cause and tending to expose another to public contempt (2) defamation of a person by written or representational means (3) the publication of blasphemous, treasonable, seditious, or obscene writings or pictures (4) the act, tort, or crime of publishing such a libel II. verb (-beled or -belled; -beling or libelling) Date: 1588 intransitive verb to make libelous statements transitive verb to make or publish a libel against • libeler noun • libelist noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 Law a a published false statement damaging to a person's reputation (cf. SLANDER). b the act of publishing this. 2 a a false and defamatory written statement. b (foll. by on) a thing that brings discredit by misrepresentation etc. (the portrait is a libel on him; the book is a libel on human nature). 3 a (in civil and ecclesiastical law) the plaintiff's written declaration. b Sc. Law a statement of the grounds of a charge. 4 (in full public libel) Law the publication of a libel that also involves the criminal law. --v.tr. (libelled, libelling; US libeled, libeling) 1 defame by libellous statements. 2 accuse falsely and maliciously. 3 Law publish a libel against. 4 (in ecclesiastical law) bring a suit against. Phrases and idioms: criminal libel Law a deliberate defamatory statement in a permanent form. Derivatives: libeller n. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L libellus dimin. of liber book

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Libel Li"bel, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Libeled (-b[e^]ld) or Libelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Libeling or Libelling.] 1. To defame, or expose to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule, by a writing, picture, sign, etc.; to lampoon. Some wicked wits have libeled all the fair. --Pope. 2. (Law) To proceed against by filing a libel, particularly against a ship or goods.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Libel Li"bel (l[imac]"b[e^]l), n. [L. libellus a little book, pamphlet, libel, lampoon, dim. of liber the liber or inner bark of a tree; also (because the ancients wrote on this bark), paper, parchment, or a roll of any material used to write upon, and hence, a book or treatise: cf. F. libelle.] 1. A brief writing of any kind, esp. a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc. [Obs.] --Chaucer. A libel of forsaking [divorcement]. --Wyclif (Matt. v. 31). 2. Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire. 3. (Law) A malicious publication expressed either in print or in writing, or by pictures, effigies, or other signs, tending to expose another to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule. Such publication is indictable at common law. Note: The term, in a more extended sense, includes the publication of such writings, pictures, and the like, as are of a blasphemous, treasonable, seditious, or obscene character. These also are indictable at common law. 4. (Law) The crime of issuing a malicious defamatory publication. 5. (Civil Law & Courts of Admiralty) A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of his cause of action, and of the relief he seeks.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Libel Li"bel (l[imac]"b[e^]l), v. i. To spread defamation, written or printed; -- with against. [Obs.] What's this but libeling against the senate? --Shak. [He] libels now 'gainst each great man. --Donne.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(libels, libelling, libelled) Note: in AM, use 'libeling', 'libeled' 1. Libel is a written statement which wrongly accuses someone of something, and which is therefore against the law. Compare slander. (LEGAL) Warren sued him for libel over the remarks... ...a libel action against the paper. N-VAR 2. To libel someone means to write or print something in a book, newspaper, or magazine which wrongly damages that person's reputation and is therefore against the law. (LEGAL) The newspaper which libelled him had already offered compensation. VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Malicious publication, defamation, defamatory writing. 2. (Law.) Charge, statement of complaint. II. v. a. 1. Lampoon, defame (by some publication). 2. (Law.) Proceed against by a libel, bring a charge against.

Moby Thesaurus

affidavit, allegation, asperse, aspersion, backbite, backbiting, bad-mouth, barefaced lie, belittle, belittlement, besmirch, bill, bill of complaint, bitchiness, blacken, blot, burlesque, calumniate, calumniation, calumny, caricature, cattiness, claim, complaint, consummate lie, declaration, defamation, defame, denigrate, denigration, denounce, denunciation, deposition, deprecate, deprecation, depreciate, depreciation, derogate, derogation, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, disparage, disparagement, falsehood, humiliate, humiliation, ill repute, innuendo, insinuate, insinuation, lie, malign, misrepresent, misrepresentation, monstrous lie, mortification, mortify, narratio, nolle prosequi, nonsuit, obloquy, out-and-out lie, prevarication, scandal, scandalize, shame, slander, slur, smear, smirch, stain, statement, statement of facts, stigma, stigmatize, tear down, the big lie, traduce, traducement, travesty, untruth, vilification, vilify, whopper