defamation

/ˌdefəˈmeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdefəˈmeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌde-fə-ˈmā-shən/ (ame, mw)

defamation — noun

1. the act of deliberately saying or writing something untrue about someone, in a w

1.名詞C1
釋義

the act of deliberately saying or writing something untrue about someone, in a way that harms the person's reputation in the community or among other people.

例句

The politician sued the newspaper for defamation after it published false allegations about his past.

sue + for + defamation — legal pattern

Aisha decided not to share the rumor at work, knowing it could be considered defamation if the story was untrue.

considered defamation — passive construction

同義詞
  • slander

    specifically refers to spoken defamation, not written or broadcast statements

  • libel

    refers to written or published defamation, such as in newspapers or online posts

  • calumny

    more literary and less common; implies a deliberate, malicious false statement

文法句型

defamation + of + person

sue + for + defamation

defamation + lawsuit / case / claim

用法筆記

Defamation is the broad legal term covering both libel (written defamation) and slander (spoken defamation). It is typically used in formal or legal contexts rather than everyday conversation.

常見錯誤

❌He defamationed the company online.
✅He committed defamation against the company online.
💡Defamation is a noun; use it with verbs like commit, constitute, or sue for.
❌I will sue you for defamation of my character's name.
✅I will sue you for defamation of character.
💡The standard legal phrase is defamation of character, without adding 's name.'