defamatory

adjective

as in libelous
causing or intended to cause unjust injury to a person's good name defamatory remarks that were published in the newspaper

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defamatory According to the motion, the documentary does not reasonably convey the defamatory implications Banks alleges or suggest that the filmmakers intended to convey them. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026 The lawsuit also accuses Jones, who appears in the series and previously sued Combs in 2024, of making defamatory statements in the documentary. — Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026 In a lengthy complaint filed Tuesday and obtained by Rolling Stone, Combs also claimed that Jones made a number of defamatory statements in the four-part special, which aired December 2025 and was recently nominated for three Emmys. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026 Williams, who had filed counterclaims against Baumgarten for allegedly making false and defamatory statements about her and tarnishing her reputation, also voluntarily dismissed her suit at the same time. — Catherine Muccigrosso july 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026 Charlotte MacInnes has appealed her defeat in a defamation case against Rebel Wilson, challenging the findings that Wilson’s Instagram posts were not defamatory and did not cause serious harm to her reputation. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 July 2026 MacInnes claimed the four posts, published between September 2024 and July 2025, were defamatory or breached her confidence. — Reuters, NBC news, 22 July 2026 However, Trump allies have pushed election theories about a Venezuelan connection for years without proof, and a judge ruled in 2023 that statements made by Fox News personalities about Dominion’s connections to Venezuela were defamatory. — Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 6 July 2026 His countersuit was dismissed in June 2025, after Liman ruled that Lively's claims could not be considered defamatory. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defamatory
  1. libelous
  2. erroneous
  3. slanderous
Adjective
  • Questions concern how the courts would assess who or what might be responsible for faulty algorithms or other flaws in system design and whether a robot was negligent or malicious when disseminating libelous content damaging individuals or organizations.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
  • In recent weeks, though, her group has doubled in size, and while in the past there were only two or three posts per day, Mitchell and her new moderators now have to wade through 60-plus comments ranging from helpful to libelous.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Definition of libelous
Adjective
  • For example, antiquarian scholars introduced the erroneous notion that druids built stone circles—most notably Stonehenge—for their ceremonies, an idea that became embedded in the popular imagination during the 18th century.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The erroneous reports prompted Katsina United to release another statement confirming Ozor’s death.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • The Tarrant County decorum policy prohibits personal attacks and impertinent, profane, obscene or slanderous remarks.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Societies throughout history have punished language deemed blasphemous, seditious, inciting or slanderous.
    — Paul Quigley, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
Definition of slanderous

Browse Nearby Words

defamation
defamatory
defame
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Cite this Entry

“Defamatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defamatory. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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