defamation
noun/ˌdɛfəˈmeɪʃən/
Frequency rank: #8,749 most common English word
Meaning
The act of making false statements that damage someone's reputation.
Example sentence
The celebrity filed a lawsuit against the newspaper for defamation after it published false stories about her.
Synonyms & related words
Practice this word in the quiz
More words in ranks 8,701–8,800
- clericA person ordained for religious duties; a member of the clergy.
- compileto gather and organize information from various sources into one collection.
- compressorA device or machine that compresses air or gas to increase its pressure.
- cougara large wild cat native to the Americas, also known as a mountain lion or puma.
- deceiveTo cause someone to believe something that is not true; to mislead.
- directionalrelating to or indicating the direction in which something moves or points.
- disciplea person who follows and learns from a teacher or leader
- dittoThe same thing again; used to express agreement or repetition of what was just said.
- divergentDeveloping in different directions; differing from each other or from a standard.
- doctorateThe highest academic degree awarded by a university, typically requiring original research.