libel

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: li=bel

CIDE DICTIONARY

libel, 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.].

•  A brief writing of any kind, esp. a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "A libel of forsaking [divorcement]."  [1913 Webster]
•  Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  " 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."  [1913 Webster]
•  The crime of issuing a malicious defamatory publication.  [1913 Webster]
•  A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of his cause of action, and of the relief he seeks.  [1913 Webster]

libel, v. t. 

•  To defame, or expose to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule, by a writing, picture, sign, etc.; to lampoon.  [1913 Webster]

  "Some wicked wits have libeled all the fair."  [1913 Webster]
•  To proceed against by filing a libel, particularly against a ship or goods.  [1913 Webster]

libel, v. i. 

 To spread defamation, written or printed; -- with against.  [1913 Webster]
"What's this but libeling against the senate?"  [1913 Webster]
"[He] libels now 'gainst each great man."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

libel, 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.

Idiom

criminal libel Law a deliberate defamatory statement in a permanent form.

Derivative

libeller n.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L libellus dimin. of liber book

THESAURUS

libel

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

ROGET THESAURUS

libel

Detraction

N detraction, disparagement, depreciation, vilification, obloquy, scurrility, scandal, defamation, aspersion, traducement, slander, calumny, obtrectation, evil-speaking, backbiting, scandalum magnatum, personality, libel, lampoon, skit, pasquinade, chronique scandaleuse, roorback, sarcasm, cynicism, criticism (disapprobation), invective, envenomed tongue, spretae injuria formae, personality, libel, lampoon, skit, pasquinade, chronique scandaleuse, roorback, detractor, detracting, defamatory, detractory, derogatory, deprecatory, catty, disparaging, libelous, scurrile, scurrilous, abusive, foul- spoken, foul-tongued, foul-mouthed, slanderous, calumnious, calumniatory, sarcastic, sardonic, sarcastic, satirical, cynical, critical, damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, and without sneering, teach the rest to sneer, another lie nailed to the counter, cut men's throats with whisperings, foul whisperings are abroad, soft-buzzing slander, virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes, detraction, disparagement, depreciation, vilification, obloquy, scurrility, scandal, defamation, aspersion, traducement, slander, calumny, obtrectation, evil-speaking, backbiting, scandalum magnatum, personality, libel, lampoon, skit, pasquinade, chronique scandaleuse, roorback, sarcasm, cynicism, criticism (disapprobation), invective, envenomed tongue, spretae injuria formae, personality, libel, lampoon, skit, pasquinade, chronique scandaleuse, roorback, detractor, detracting, defamatory, detractory, derogatory, deprecatory, catty, disparaging, libelous, scurrile, scurrilous, abusive, foul- spoken, foul-tongued, foul-mouthed, slanderous, calumnious, calumniatory, sarcastic, sardonic, sarcastic, satirical, cynical, critical, damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, and without sneering, teach the rest to sneer, another lie nailed to the counter, cut men's throats with whisperings, foul whisperings are abroad, soft-buzzing slander, virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes.

VB detract, derogate, decry, deprecate, depreciate, disparage, run down, cry down, backcap, belittle, sneer at, criticize, pull to pieces, pick a hole in one's coat, asperse, cast aspersions, blow upon, bespatter, blacken, vilify, vilipend, avile, give a dog a bad name, brand, malign, muckrake, backbite, libel, lampoon, traduce, slander, defame, calumniate, bear false witness against, speak ill of behind one's back, fling dirt, anathematize, dip the pen in gall, view in a bad light, impugn (disparage the motives of), assail, attack, oppose, denounce, accuse.

Accusation

N accusation, charge, imputation, slur, inculpation, exprobration, delation, crimination, incrimination, accrimination, recrimination, tu quoque argument, invective, denunciation, denouncement, libel, challenge, citation, arraignment, impeachment, appeachment, indictment, bill of indictment, true bill, lawsuit, condemnation, gravamen of a charge, head and front of one's offending, argumentum ad hominem, scandal, scandalum magnatum, accuser, prosecutor, plaintiff, relator, informer, appellant, accused, defendant, prisoner, perpetrator, panel, respondent, litigant, accusing, accusatory, accusative, imputative, denunciatory, recriminatory, criminatory, accused, suspected, under suspicion, under a cloud, under surveillance, in custody, in detention, in the lockup, in the watch house, in the house of detention, accusable, imputable, indefensible, inexcusable, unpardonable, unjustifiable, vicious, Int, look at home, tu quoque, the breath of accusation kills an innocent name, thou can'st not say I did it.