Libel is an English word with synonyms like defamation or smear. Below you'll find 10+ example sentences showing how it's used in practice.
Libel in a sentence
Related words
Libel meaning
- A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
- The act or tort of displaying such a statement publicly.
- Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.
Synonyms of Libel
Using Libel
- The main meaning on this page is: A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation. | The act or tort of displaying such a statement publicly. | Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.
- Useful related words include: defamation, smear, calumniate, denigrate.
- In the example corpus, libel often appears in combinations such as: for libel, libel and, libel case.
Context around Libel
- Average sentence length in these examples: 29.1 words
- Position in the sentence: 7 start, 8 middle, 5 end
- Sentence types: 20 statements, 0 questions, 0 exclamations
Corpus analysis for Libel
- In this selection, "libel" usually appears in the middle of the sentence. The average example has 29.1 words, and this corpus slice is mostly made up of statements.
- Around the word, involving, civil, criminal, case, suit and claim stand out and add context to how "libel" is used.
- Recognizable usage signals include a civil libel suit or and a criminal libel suit in. That gives this page its own corpus information beyond isolated example sentences.
- By corpus frequency, "libel" sits close to words such as adidas, analyse and appalled, which helps place it inside the broader word index.
Example types with libel
The same corpus examples are grouped by length and sentence type, making it easier to see the contexts in which the word appears:
I revealed it and he sued me for libel. (9 words)
The law criminalizes libel, and libel laws are used to block or punish critical reporting and commentary. (17 words)
Hontiveros then vowed to continue to push for the passage of her bill, which seeks to decriminalize libel in the Philippines. (21 words)
Bea Borres is mulling filing a cyber-libel complaint against Ricci Rivero after he challenged her to expose who was really a “kabit,” (or mistress) in reaction to a cryptic post that she wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. (42 words)
He lost a in 2021 for slurs against a Syrian schoolboy who was filmed being attacked at school, and the attorney general’s office is considering taking legal action for contempt of court after a documentary repeating the libel was circulated. (41 words)
These laws authorize the government, at its discretion and the request of the plaintiff, to criminalize a civil libel suit or to initiate a criminal libel suit in cases of alleged libel against the president and other high government officials. (40 words)
Example sentences (20)
With the growth of publication came the growth of libel and development of the tort of libel. citation Cases involving libel An early example of libel is the case of John Peter Zenger in 1735.
Libel and slander both require publication. 50 Am.Jur.2d libel and slander 1–546 The fundamental distinction between libel and slander lies solely in the form in which the defamatory matter is published.
Libel Libel is defined as defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures. citation The law of libel originated in the 17th century in England.
These laws authorize the government, at its discretion and the request of the plaintiff, to criminalize a civil libel suit or to initiate a criminal libel suit in cases of alleged libel against the president and other high government officials.
Polanski holds dual citizenship with Poland and France. citation Vanity Fair libel case In 2004, Polanski sued Vanity Fair magazine in London for libel.
Such a claimant could be said to be "libel-proof", since in most jurisdictions, actual damage is an essential element for a libel claim.
The law criminalizes libel, and libel laws are used to block or punish critical reporting and commentary.
A businesswoman has been ordered to pay a TV anti-bullying campaigner £60,000 after losing a libel battle for calling her 'a bully and a fraud' on Facebook.
A judgment is also expected in Harry's libel claim against ANL – publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday – over an article on his case against the Home Office.
A jury was selected to hear a libel lawsuit Johnny Depp filed against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, whom he accused of falsely portraying him as a domestic abuser.
Bea Borres is mulling filing a cyber-libel complaint against Ricci Rivero after he challenged her to expose who was really a “kabit,” (or mistress) in reaction to a cryptic post that she wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
But while the truth is always an acceptable defense in a libel case, that's not always enough to make for a successful story.
Fox’s founder, Rupert Murdoch, has a complex relationship with Trump: “I was not close to him,” Murdoch said in a deposition in the libel lawsuit.
He lost a in 2021 for slurs against a Syrian schoolboy who was filmed being attacked at school, and the attorney general’s office is considering taking legal action for contempt of court after a documentary repeating the libel was circulated.
Hillary almost got away with her libel of Trump as a Russian spy through a similar, though far more sophisticated, method of media and deep state manipulation.
Hontiveros then vowed to continue to push for the passage of her bill, which seeks to decriminalize libel in the Philippines.
In 2023, we saw WAG Coleen Rooney tell the story of the libel case dubbed 'Wagatha Christie' in Disney+ documentary Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story.
I revealed it and he sued me for libel.
It ruled that news outlets are protected against a libel judgment unless it can be proven that they published with “actual malice” – knowing that something was false or acting with a “reckless disregard” to whether it was true or not.
Jason Zadrozny, the Leader of the Ashfield Independents, said at the time that the party had instructed lawyers Bindmans LLP to pursue libel action against Mr Harding.
Common combinations with libel
These word pairs occur most frequently in English texts:
- for libel 31×
- libel and 22×
- libel case 14×
- of libel 13×
- criminal libel 11×
- in libel 11×
- libel lawsuit 10×
- the libel 10×
- blood libel 10×
- and libel 9×