MEANING
To damage someone's reputation through false statements in a published or otherwise recorded form.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- libel a public figure
- libel someone's reputation
On the page
The paper was accused of libelling the owner in its report.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- libel
- Past tense
- libelled or libeled
- Past participle
- libelled or libeled
- Present participle
- libelling or libeling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- libel
- Present continuous
- am/is/are libelling or libeling
- Present perfect
- have/has libelled or libeled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been libelling or libeling
- Past
- libelled or libeled
- Past continuous
- was/were libelling or libeling
- Past perfect
- had libelled or libeled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been libelling or libeling
- Future
- will libel
- Future continuous
- will be libelling or libeling
- Future perfect
- will have libelled or libeled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been libelling or libeling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: libel; libels; libelled or libeled; libelled or libeled; libelling or libeling Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: libels.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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