li·bel  (lī'bəl) 
n. A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person's reputation. The act of presenting such material to the public.
The written claims presented by a plaintiff in an action at admiralty law or to an ecclesiastical court.
tr.v.
li·beled or li·belled, li·bel·ing or li·bel·ling, li·bels
To publish a libel about (a person). See Synonyms at malign.
[Middle English, litigant's written complaint, from Old French, from Latin libellus, diminutive of liber, book.]
li'bel·er, li'bel·ist n. |
