en
defamation
/ˌdɛf.əˈmeɪ.ʃən/
Definition
1
The act of making false statements about someone that harm their reputation, either spoken (slander) or written (libel).
2
In legal terms, a tort where one party communicates damaging falsehoods about another, often leading to lawsuits and awkward apologies.
Examples
The tabloid's claim that the celebrity's pet rock was a secret agent was blatant defamation.
After calling his rival's homemade pizza 'a crime against cheese,' he faced a defamation suit from the dough defenders.
In the heated office debate, accusing the coffee machine of 'betrayal' nearly sparked a defamation trial among the mugs.
Her review called the influencer's dance moves 'a threat to gravity,' but it stopped short of full defamation.