Did you know?
Harming someone's reputation in speech with falsehoods is known as slander, and doing the same thing in writing is known as libel (which sometimes includes speech as well). Any ordinary citizen who can claim to have suffered harm as a result of such defamation may sue. So why aren't politicians suing all the time? Because an exception is made for "public persons" (a category that includes most other celebrities as well), who must also prove that any such statement was made with "reckless disregard for the truth". And although, even by that standard, public persons are defamed all the time, most of them have decided that it's better to just grin and bear it.
Examples of defamation in a Sentence
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025
Lawrence Kenyon, who lives in Thompson's Station, raised several claims, including defamation, invasion of privacy by false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 10 Sep. 2025
The court's decision will determine whether Jones' case becomes a vehicle for redefining the limits of free speech and defamation law or simply marks the end of his appeals.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Trump has repeatedly denied writing the letter and sued the Wall Street Journal, which was first to report on the letter, for defamation.
—Nik Popli, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defamation
Cite this Entry
“Defamation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defamation. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
defamation
noun
W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
Share