diffamatorio
defamatory, libellous
adjective dif-fah-mah-TOH-ryoh Rare
Origin: From Latin diffamatorius, from diffamare (to spread ill report).
Usage Note
Diffamatorio describes speech or writing that damages someone's reputation unlawfully — equivalent to 'defamatory' or 'libellous' in English legal usage. Italian law distinguishes diffamazione (defamation in general) from calunnia (false accusation to authorities); diffamatorio applies to both written (libello diffamatorio) and spoken contexts.
Examples
"L'articolo conteneva affermazioni diffamatorie."
Natural Translation
The article contained defamatory statements.
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