libel: Meaning and Definition of

li•bel

Pronunciation: (lī'bul), [key]
— n., v., -beled, -bel•ing -belled, -bel•ling.
—n.
    1. defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures.
    2. the act or crime of publishing it.
    3. a formal written declaration or statement, as one containing the allegations of a plaintiff or the grounds of a charge.
  1. anything that is defamatory or that maliciously or damagingly misrepresents.
—v.t.
  1. to publish a libel against.
  2. to misrepresent damagingly.
  3. to institute suit against by a libel, as in an admiralty court.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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