defamatory
pronunciation
How to pronounce defamatory in British English: UK [dɪˈfæmətri]
How to pronounce defamatory in American English: US [dɪˈfæmətɔri]
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- Adjective:
- (used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign
Word Origin
- defamatory (adj.)
- 1590s, from Middle French diffamatoire, Medieval Latin diffamatorius "tending to defame," from diffamat-, past participle stem of diffamare (see defame).
Example
- 1. Hateful or defamatory words can inflame hostilities , deepen divisions , and provoke violence .
- 2. The union made clear that it would not hold back from suing companies that published defamatory material about its members .
- 3. Promoters and arrangers of reverse mergers say short-sellers are making huge profits by releasing defamatory reports full of innuendo but little hard proof to back up their assertions of fraud .
- 4. In a letter sent to the foreign ministry , taiji council and the town 's fisheries co-operative claimed the " defamatory " film had failed to present scientific evidence to support its claim that dolphins contain dangerously high levels of mercury .
- 5. An analysis of the decision by the lawyers pinsent masons also noted that the ruling said the google was not liable as a publisher of defamatory comments even in cases where it had been told that its search results contained potentially libellous comments .