adjective
defamatory
dih-FAM-uh-tor-ee/dɪˈfæmətɔːri/
Harming someone's reputation through false or injurious statements.
A man makes a defamatory accusation that the shopkeeper steals.
Etymology
Joined to the word for report or rumor, the prefix probably suggests ruination. The underlying verb meant spreading an ill report or making a scandal of someone, so the adjective describes statements that damage reputation.
In context
defamation of character and the newspaper will print a retraction to try and undo some of the damage that they caused with the deaf you know with the defamatory story
More examples
- The newspaper removes a defamatory claim from its website.
- She calls the rumor defamatory and demands an apology.
- His defamatory comments falsely accuse his neighbor of fraud.
Forms
defamatory
defame verb — Damage someone's reputation through false or injurious statements.
defamation noun — Reputational harm caused by false or injurious statements.
Similar words
- libelous
- Usually describes defamatory material published in writing rather than spoken.
- slanderous
- Usually describes defamatory statements spoken rather than published in writing.