libelous

US: (lī′bə ləs)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

li•bel•ous  (lī′bə ləs), adj. 

1. containing, constituting, or involving a libel;
   maliciously defamatory.

Also,[esp. Brit.,] li′bel•lous. 

• libel + -ous 1610–20

li′bel•ous•ly*  [esp. Brit.,] li′bel•lous•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

li•bel /ˈlaɪbəl/   n., v., -beled, -bel•ing or (esp. Brit.) -belled, -bel•ling. 
n. 

1. Law damage to the character or name of another by written or printed words, pictures, or the like, rather than by spoken words:
   [uncountable] sued for libel.
2. something that deliberately or harmfully misrepresents the character or name of another:
   [countable] That charge was simply a libel put out by my opponent.

v. [~ + object]

3. to print or publish a libel against (someone).

li•bel•er, n. [countable]
li•bel•ous, adj. See -libr-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

li•bel  (lī′bəl), n., v., -beled, -bel•ing or (esp. Brit.) -belled, -bel•ling. 
n. 

1. Law
   • defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures.
   • the act or crime of publishing it.
   • a formal written declaration or statement, as one containing the allegations of a plaintiff or the grounds of a charge.
2. anything that is defamatory or that maliciously or damagingly misrepresents.

v.t. 

3. to publish a libel against.
4. to misrepresent damagingly.
5. to institute suit against by a libel, as in an admiralty court.

• Latin libellus, diminutive of liber book; for formation, see castellum
• Middle English: little book, formal document, esp. plaintiff 's statement 1250–1300

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

libel / ˈlaɪb^əl/ noun

1. the publication of defamatory matter in permanent form, as by a written or printed statement, picture, etc
2. the act of publishing such matter
3. any defamatory or unflattering representation or statement
4. the formal statement of a charge

verb ( -bels, -belling, -belled) ( -bels, -beling, -beled)(transitive)

1. to make or publish a defamatory statement or representation about (a person)
2. to misrepresent injuriously

Etymology: 13th Century (in the sense: written statement), hence C14 legal sense: a plaintiff's statement, via Old French from Latin libellus a little book, from liber a book

ˈlibeller, ˈlibelist noun

ˈlibellous, ˈlibelous adjective