libel

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French libelle, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] 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 their cause of action, and of the relief they seek.
   • 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.

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

defamatory false written statement

• Bulgarian: клевета (bg) f (kleveta), донос (bg) m (donos)
• Czech: hanopis (cs) m
• Danish: injurie c, ærekrænkelse c, æresfornærmelse c, bagvaskelse c
• Finnish: kirjallinen kunnianloukkaus, kirjallinen herjaus, häväistyskirjoitus
• French: calomnie (fr) f écrite, libelle (fr) m
• German: schriftliche Verleumdung (de) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: λίβελλος m (lívellos), λιβελλογράφημα n (livellográfima)
• Portuguese: calúnia (pt) f
• Russian: клевета́ (ru) f (klevetá), диффама́ция (ru) f (diffamácija)
• Spanish: libelo (es) m, calumnia (es) f
• Swedish: förtal (sv) n, ärekränkning (sv) c, smädeskrift c
• Tagalog: paninirang-puri

act or crime

• Catalan: difamació f
• Czech: pomluva (cs) f
• Danish: injurie c, ærekrænkelse c, æresfornærmelse c, bagvaskelse c
• Finnish: kirjallinen kunnianloukkaus
• French: calomnie (fr) f écrite
• German: schriftliche Verleumdung (de) f
• Greek: συκοφαντική δυσφήμηση f (sykofantikí dysfímisi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Irish: leabhal m
• Portuguese: difamação (pt) f
• Russian: клевета́ (ru) f (klevetá), диффама́ция (ru) f (diffamácija)
• Spanish: difamación (es) f
• Swedish: förtal (sv) n, ärekränkning (sv) c
• Welsh: enllib m

statement by the plaintiff

• Portuguese: libelo (pt) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: жа́лоба (ru) f (žáloba), исковое заявле́ние n (iskovoje zajavlénije)

any defamatory writing

• Greek: λιβελλογράφημα n (livellográfima), σάτιρα (el) f (sátira)
• Portuguese: difamação (pt) f, libelo (pt) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: пасквиль (ru) m (paskvilʹ)

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

• Arabic: ^{(please verify)} فِرْيَة f (firya)
• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} smaad (nl), ^{(please verify)} laster (nl)
• French: ^{(please verify)} diffamation (fr) f
• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} rágalom (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} diffamazione (it) f
• Macedonian: ^{(please verify)} клевета f (kleveta) (written, spoken); ^{(please verify)} паскви́л m (paskvíl) (pictorial)
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} förtal (sv) c
• Turkish: ^{(please verify)} iftira (tr), (fig.) ^{(please verify)} karalama (tr), (politics) ^{(please verify)} hakaret (tr)

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.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:defame

Translations

to defame someone

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 讒謗／谗谤 (zh) (chánbàng)

• Czech: pomluvit (cs)
• Danish: bagtale, bagvaske
• Finnish: kirjallisesti loukata jonkun kunniaa
• German: (schriftlich) verleumden
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: διαβάλλω (diabállō)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: rágalmaz (hu)
• Macedonian: клевети f (kleveti), наклевети f (nakleveti)
• Romanian: defăima (ro)
• Russian: клевета́ть (ru) impf (klevetátʹ), наклевета́ть (ru) pf (naklevetátʹ), оклеветать (ru) impf (oklevetatʹ), дискредитировать (ru) impf or pf (diskreditirovatʹ), позорить (ru) impf (pozoritʹ), опозорить (ru) pf (opozoritʹ)
• Swedish: förtala (sv), ärekränka, smutskasta (sv)
• Turkish: hakaret etmek (tr), iftira etmek (tr), (somebody) karalamak (tr)

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.

Noun

libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. dragonfly, insect of the infraorder Anisoptera
2. dragonfly or damselfly, insect of the order Odonata

Alternative forms

• libelle

Hyponyms

• (insect of the order Odonata): beekjuffer, breedscheenjuffer, pantserjuffer, waterjuffer, winterjuffer

Etymology 2

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

Noun

libel n (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. booklet, notably a libel (defamatory writing)

Synonyms

• schotschrift
• smaadschrift

References

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