apieceof writing that saysbad,false, andharmfulthings about aperson, or thelegalclaimyou make when youaccusesomeone incourtof writing such things about you:
[C]Thewholestorywas aviciouslibel.
[U]Angry at what thenewspaperhadprinted, shesuedfor libel.
libel
verb[T]us/ˈlɑɪ·bəl/
Thegeneralcontendsthenetworklibeled him in atelevisionbroadcast.
The dissolution of the 1626 parliament marked the rise of alarming libels about the duke.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Both stories are rich in gossip, rumour, rhymes, libels, anonymous notes, and the practical uses of printed works, not to mention spells and curses, visions and dreams.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Ultimately, the uncertainty of language doomed the crown lawyers to failure, because they had too much difficulty convincing juries that what they called libels were indeed libellous.
From theCambridge English Corpus
You find it everywhere, in libels, novels, and literary reviews, which constantly invite the reader to penetrate into secrets hidden between the lines or beneath the text.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Both stories are rich in gossip, rumour, rhymes, libels, anonymous notes and the practical uses of printed works, not to mention spells and curses, visions and dreams.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Most disturbing of all, however, was another publicly posted manuscriptlibelthat came into the hands of the authorities a few weeks later.
From theCambridge English Corpus
He portrays this varied appeal as a feature of thelibelas a genre, with simple, seemingly nave, rhymes sometimes masking informed political criticism.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Only in 1820 were the crown lawyers statutorily obliged to bring alibelinformation to trial within a year of the filing date.
From theCambridge English Corpus
A comprehensive assessment of the repressive force of the law oflibelmust take these ordeals into account.
From theCambridge English Corpus
The low sentencing rate inlibelcases tells us nothing about the intense legal pressure thus brought to bear on the accused.
From theCambridge English Corpus
At one level, their use of the law oflibelseems to bear out this benign conclusion.
From theCambridge English Corpus
He led the resurgent postwar opposition and was twice prosecuted for seditiouslibel.
From theCambridge English Corpus
The case did not proceed beyond the initiallibeland summons.
From theCambridge English Corpus
By the late eighteenth century, it had become common forlibelcases to be tried before special jurors.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Given the myriad opportunities for advertisement afforded by alibeltrial, it is no wonder that the crown lawyers were generally reluctant to risk one.
From theCambridge English Corpus
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
Collocationswithlibel
libel
These are words often used in combination withlibel.
Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.
blood libel
For instance, take thebloodlibelaccusation, among the most serious and vicious that has ever been issued against any people anywhere.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
criminal libel
I have studied the book referred to, but have come to the conclusion that criminal libel proceedings would not be maintainable.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
libel action
Against that background, had he won hislibelaction, he would have been awarded exemplary damages.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.