libel
English
Etymology
From Middle English libel, from Old French libelle, from Latin libellus (“petition; literally, booklet”).
Pronunciation
- enPR: līʹbəl, IPA(key): /ˈlaɪbəl/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -aɪbəl
Noun
libel (countable and uncountable, plural libels)
- (countable) A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
- 2002, Spider-Man:
- Peter Parker: Spider-Man wasn't trying to attack the city, he was trying to save it. That's slander.
J. Jonah Jameson: It is not! I resent that! Slander is spoken. In print, it's libel.
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- (uncountable) The act or tort of displaying such a statement publicly.
- (countable) Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.
- (law, countable) A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of their cause of action, and of the relief they seek.
- 1873, United States Supreme Court, The Rio Grande, 86 U.S. 178,179
- 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.
- 1873, United States Supreme Court, The Rio Grande, 86 U.S. 178,179
- (countable) A brief writing of any kind, especially a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc.
- a libel of forsaking [divorcement]
Usage notes
In common usage, the noun and verb is particularly used where the defamatory writing meets the legal definition of libel in a particular jurisdiction.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:slander
Translations
defamatory false written statement
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act or crime
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statement by the plaintiff
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any defamatory writing
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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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) (transitive, law)
- To defame (someone), especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:defame
- He libelled her when he published that.
- 1709, Alexander Pope, “January and May; or, The Merchant’s Tale, from Chaucer”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, OCLC 43265629, page 203:
- But vvhat ſo pure, vvhich envious tongues vvill ſpare? / Some vvicked vvits have libell'd all the fair.
- To proceed against (goods, a ship, etc.) by filing a libel claim.
Translations
to defame someone
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Derived terms
Terms derived from the noun or verb libel
- blood libel
- libelant
- libel chill
- libelee
- libeler
- libelist
- libelous
See also
- defamation
- defame
- slander
Anagrams
- Belli, I'll be, Ibell, Liebl
Dutch
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /liˈbɛl/
- Hyphenation: li‧bel
- Rhymes: -ɛl
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Latin libella or libellula.
Noun
libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)
- dragonfly, insect of the infraorder Anisoptera
- dragonfly or damselfly, insect of the order Odonata
Alternative forms
- libelle
Hyponyms
- (insect of the order Odonata): beekjuffer, breedscheenjuffer, pantserjuffer, waterjuffer, winterjuffer
Descendants
- → Arawak: bibiri
Etymology 2
From Latin libellus, diminutive of liber (“book”).
Noun
libel n (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)
- booklet, notably a libel (defamatory writing)
Synonyms
- schotschrift
- smaadschrift
Etymology 3
Borrowed from Latin libella.
Noun
libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)
- A vial of a level.
References
- M. J. Koenen & J. Endepols, Verklarend Handwoordenboek der Nederlandse Taal (tevens Vreemde-woordentolk), Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff, 1969 (26th edition) [Dutch dictionary in Dutch]
Middle English
Alternative forms
- lybel
Etymology
Ultimately from Latin libellus (“little book”).
Noun
libel
- Any short and formal written text
- (law) A litigant's statement of complaint, or list of charges
- 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Freres Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], OCLC 230972125; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, OCLC 932884868, folio xliiii, verso, column 1:
- I haue ȹ he, of ſommõs of the here a byl / Up payne of curſyng loke that thou be / To moꝛowe befoꝛe our Archdeacons kne [...] Now loꝛde ȹ ſhe, Jeſu kyng of kynges / So wiſely helpe me, as I ne may [...] May I nat aſke a lybel ſyꝛ Sompnour / And anſwere there by my pꝛoctour / To ſuche thyng as men wolde appoſen me?
- I have (he said) a bill of summons here: / On pain of excommunication make sure that you appear / Tomorrow morning at the archdeacon's knee [...] Now Lord (she said) Jesus king of kings / Help me, as I cannot [...] Could I ask for a copy of the charges, sir summoner, / And have my proctor appear for me / For whatever it is that I am accused of?
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- Any written formal complaint, particularly in marital conflicts
- c. 1382–1395, John Wycliffe [et al.], Josiah Forshall and Frederic Madden, editors, The Holy Bible, […], volume IV, Oxford: At the University Press, published 1850, OCLC 459166891, Matthew V:31–32, page 12:
- And it hath be seyd, Who euere leeueth his wijf, ȝyue he to hir a libel of forsakying. But Y seie to ȝou, that euery man that leeueth his wijf, outtakun cause of fornycacion, makith hir to do letcherie, and he that weddith the forsaken wijf, doith auowtrye.
- [ KJV ] It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
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- A treatise; a division of a larger work.
- (law) A litigant's statement of complaint, or list of charges