noun
libel
LEYE-buhl
noun
1
A false published statement — written, printed, or pictured — that damages someone's reputation.
"The tabloid printed a libel about the actor and got sued for it."
"She won a libel case after the blog falsely accused her of fraud."
verb
1
To publish a false, damaging statement about someone.
"The newspaper libeled the mayor by printing unproven bribery claims."
How to Use Libel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWriting or publishing something false that hurts someone's reputation — the written version of defamation.
Common mistake
Libel is written/published defamation; slander is the spoken version. Don't mix the two up in legal contexts.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sue for libel
a libel case
libel someone
Word Forms
libeled past tense, libelled past tense, libels plural, libels singular
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The tabloid printed a _____ about the actor and got sued for it.
Etymology
From Old French libelle, from Latin libellus, "little book" — originally just any short written document, long before it narrowed to mean a damaging false statement.