What does defamatory mean?
'Defamatory' describes a statement — whether spoken, written, or published — that falsely damages another person's reputation. It is the adjective behind the legal concepts of libel (defamation in permanent form, such as print or online posts) and slander (defamation in transient spoken form), though the word itself covers both. To call something defamatory is a serious charge: it asserts not merely that a remark was unkind or critical, but that it was untrue and harmful to the subject's good name. The word appears constantly in journalism, employment disputes, politics, and social media, where false accusations can spread rapidly and reputations can be ruined in an instant. Derived from the Latin 'diffamare', meaning to spread abroad an unfavourable report, it entered English in the early modern period alongside the broader vocabulary of reputation and law. For anyone navigating public discourse, understanding what makes a statement defamatory — falsity, publication, and reputational harm — is both linguistically and practically valuable.
adjectiveConstituting or containing a false statement that damages someone's good reputation; injurious to a person's character or standing in the eyes of others.
- (Of a statement, publication, or utterance) containing a false claim that harms another person's reputation; constituting defamation in law.
- (More generally) damaging to someone's good name or character, whether or not legally actionable.
"The magazine retracted the article after discovering that several of its claims were defamatory."
"Her lawyer argued that the blog post was defamatory because it falsely implied she had mishandled client funds."
"Even offhand gossip can be defamatory if it spreads a damaging falsehood about someone's character."
In English law, simply telling the truth is a complete defence — a defamatory statement only becomes legally actionable if it is also false.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of defamatory
'Defamatory' derives from the Latin verb 'diffamare', formed from 'dis-' (abroad, widely) plus 'fama' (report, reputation, fame) — literally 'to spread a report widely'. It entered English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, borrowed via or alongside Middle French, as part of the vocabulary of law and reputation. It shares this root with 'fame', 'famous', and 'infamous', all of which descend from Latin 'fama'.
Related word forms
How defamatory is actually used
Formal and most at home in legal, journalistic, and professional contexts. In everyday speech, people often reach for 'libellous' or 'slanderous' instead, though those terms technically distinguish written from spoken defamation — a distinction 'defamatory' neatly avoids. Because it carries legal weight, calling something 'defamatory' is a serious accusation and implies falsity, not merely unpleasantness.
Easily confused with defamatory
'Libel' is the noun for a defamatory statement made in written or published form, whereas 'defamatory' is the adjective describing any reputation-damaging falsehood, spoken or written.
'Slander' refers specifically to defamatory statements made orally or in transient form, while 'defamatory' covers both spoken and written falsehoods.