defamation

noun

an abusive attack on a person's character or good name

a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions

Roots

famafam- · Latin · reputation, rumor

Synonyms for defamation

slandern calumnyn denigrationn vilificationn disparagementn

Synonyms & related words for defamation

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of defamation — including slander, calumny, denigration, vilification, disparagement. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to defamation

Explore words related to defamation — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include antidefamation, calumniation, traducement, aspersion, libel, libelist, obloquy, libelee. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for defamation

Common synonyms for defamation include slander, calumny, denigration, vilification, disparagement — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does defamation come from?

The word defamation breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root fam-, from Latin fama (“reputation, rumor”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.