defamatory
/di'fæmətəri/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Harmful to reputation: Describes a statement, remark, or publication that is damaging to a person's or entity's good name, character, or reputation.
- False and injurious: Often implies that the harmful statement is untrue or made with disregard for the truth, constituting slander (if spoken) or libel (if written/published).
Usage
- The adjective defamatory is used to qualify nouns like , , , , or . It is a formal term commonly used in legal, journalistic, and academic contexts.
- It describes the or of communication, not the act itself. The act is .
Examples
- The newspaper published a retraction after the court ruled the article was defamatory.
- Politicians sometimes sue their opponents for making defamatory claims during elections.
- Her lawyer argued that the online post was not merely critical but was defamatory and had cost her the job offer.
Advanced Usage
- Defamatory per se: A legal term for statements so inherently harmful that damage to reputation is presumed without needing to prove specific losses (e.g., falsely accusing someone of a serious crime or professional incompetence).
- Accusing a doctor of being a fraud is considered defamatory per se.
Variants and Related Words
- Defame (verb): To damage the good reputation of someone; to slander or libel.
- He sued the magazine for attempting to defame him.
- Defamation (noun): The act of defaming; the offense of injuring a person's reputation.
- The lawsuit was based on claims of defamation.
- Defamer (noun): A person who defames someone.
Synonyms
- Libelous (adj): Specifically refers to defamatory or other published forms.
- Slanderous (adj): Specifically refers to defamatory words.
- Denigrating (adj): Criticizing unfairly; disparaging.
- Vilifying (adj): Speaking or writing about in an abusively disparaging manner.
Antonyms
- Complimentary (adj): Expressing praise or admiration.
- Flattering (adj): Full of praise and compliments.
- Commendatory (adj): Serving to present someone as worthy of praise.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- Character assassination: A vicious, sustained personal attack intended to destroy someone's reputation, often through defamatory means.
- The political debate devolved into character assassination.
Adjective
-
(used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign
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