libel

English

Etymology

From Old French libelle, from Latin libellus (“petition”).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: līʹbəl, IPA(key): /ˈlaɪbəl/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪbəl

Noun

libel (countable and uncountable, plural libels)

  1. (countable) A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
  2. (uncountable) The act or crime of displaying such a statement publicly.
  3. (countable) Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.
  4. (law, countable) A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of his cause of action, and of the relief he seeks.
  5. (countable) A brief writing of any kind, especially a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)
    • Wyclif Bible (Matthew v. 31)
      a libel of forsaking [divorcement]

Synonyms

  • See also Thesaurus:slander

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Verb

libel (third-person singular simple present libels, present participle (UK) libelling or (US) libeling, simple past and past participle (UK) libelled or (US) libeled)

  1. (transitive) To defame someone, especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.
    He libelled her when he published that.
    • Alexander Pope
      Some wicked wits have libelled all the fair.
  2. (law) To proceed against (a ship, goods, etc.) by filing a libel.
    • United States Supreme Court, The Rio Grande, 86 U.S. 178,179 (1873)
      These provisions of law being in force, the steamer Rio Grande, owned, as was alleged, by persons in Mexico, being in the port of Mobile, in the Southern District of Alabama, certain materialmen, on the 26th of November, 1867, filed separate libels against her in the district court for the said district.

Synonyms

  • See also Thesaurus:defame

Translations

Derived terms

See also

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology 1

From Latin libellus, diminutive of liber (“book”).

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: li‧bel

Noun

libel n (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

  1. booklet, notably as libel
Synonyms
  • schotschrift
  • smaadschrift

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

Noun

libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

  1. dragonfly
Synonyms

References

  • M. J. Koenen & J. Endepols, Verklarend Handwoordenboek der Nederlandse Taal (tevens Vreemde-woordentolk), Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff, 1969 (26th edition) [Dutch dictionary in Dutch]
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