Question

defamation In a famous case in 1735, the newspaper publisher J. P. Zenger was found not guilty of defamation because everything he had printed about the plaintiff was true. ˌdɛfəˈmeɪʃən

Accepted Answer

The harming of someone's reputation by libel or slander. Harming someone's reputation in speech with falsehoods is known as slander, and doing the same thing in writing is known as libel (which sometimes includes speech as well). Any ordinary citizen who can claim to have suffered harm as a result of such defamation may sue. So why aren't politicians suing all the time? Because an exception is made for “public persons” (a category that includes most other celebrities as well), who must also prove that any such statement was made with “reckless disregard for the truth.” And although, even by that standard, public persons are defamed all the time, most of them have decided that it's better to just grin and bear it.

word	defamation
definition	The harming of someone's reputation by libel or slander.
eg_sentence	In a famous case in 1735, the newspaper publisher J. P. Zenger was found not guilty of defamation because everything he had printed about the plaintiff was true.
explanation	Harming someone's reputation in speech with falsehoods is known as slander, and doing the same thing in writing is known as libel (which sometimes includes speech as well). Any ordinary citizen who can claim to have suffered harm as a result of such defamation may sue. So why aren't politicians suing all the time? Because an exception is made for “public persons” (a category that includes most other celebrities as well), who must also prove that any such statement was made with “reckless disregard for the truth.” And although, even by that standard, public persons are defamed all the time, most of them have decided that it's better to just grin and bear it.
IPA	ˌdɛfəˈmeɪʃən

Defamation Harming Someone's Reputation Libel Speech Includes Made