libelous

adjective

li·​bel·​ous ˈlī-b(ə-)ləs How to pronounce libelous (audio)
variants or libellous
: constituting or including a libel : defamatory
a libelous statement

Examples of libelous in a Sentence

libelous statements about a celebrity for which the tabloid was sued
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Newspapers also worried about potentially libelous posts. Mike Savino, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2024 And finally, modern far-right terrorists still frequently invoke the same libelous assertion that white women must be protected from licentious Black men. TIME, 14 May 2024 The lawsuit alleges the principal and the district violated the California Education Code, which provides strong protections for student journalism and free speech with few exceptions, such as content that is obscene, libelous or slanderous. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 If there were whispers that something more perverse or calamitous might have transpired, they were branded libelous, sensationalist, or otherwise untrue. Rebecca Panovka, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for libelous 

Word History

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of libelous was in 1619

Dictionary Entries Near libelous

Cite this Entry

“Libelous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/libelous. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

libelous

adjective
li·​bel·​ous
variants or libellous
: being a libel

Legal Definition

libelous

adjective
li·​bel·​ous
variants also libellous
: constituting or including libel
a libelous magazine article

More from Merriam-Webster on libelous

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!