cal·um·ny

(kăl′əm-nē)

n. pl. cal·um·nies

1. A false statement maliciously made to injure another's reputation.

2. The utterance of maliciously false statements; slander.

[Middle English calumnie, from Old French calomnie, from Latin calumnia, from calvī, to deceive.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

calumny

(ˈkæləmnɪ)

n, pl -nies

1. the malicious utterance of false charges or misrepresentation; slander; defamation

2. such a false charge or misrepresentation

[C15: from Latin calumnia deception, slander]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cal•um•ny

(ˈkæl əm ni)

n., pl. -nies.

1. a false and malicious statement designed to injure a reputation.

2. slander; defamation.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin calumnia< calvī to deceive + -ia -y³)]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	calumny - a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions calumniation, defamation, hatchet job, traducement, obloquy depreciation - a communication that belittles somebody or something assassination, blackwash, character assassination - an attack intended to ruin someone's reputation malignment, smear, vilification - slanderous defamation libel - a false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living person slander - words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another name calling, names - verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument; "sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt me" epithet, name - a defamatory or abusive word or phrase
	2.	calumny - an abusive attack on a person's character or good name aspersion, defamation, denigration, slander attack - strong criticism; "he published an unexpected attack on my work"

calumny

noun slander, abuse, insult, smear, libel, stigma, defamation, misrepresentation, lying, vilification, denigration, backbiting, derogation, vituperation, obloquy, aspersion, detraction, calumniation He alleges that he was the victim of calumny and dirty tricks.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

calumny

noun

The expression of injurious, malicious statements about someone:

aspersion, calumniation, character assassination, defamation, denigration, detraction, scandal, slander, traducement, vilification.

Law: libel.

Translations

клевета

calumnia

baksnakkbaksnakkingbaktalelsebaktaling

kalumniaoszczerstwo

клевета

calumny

[ˈkæləmnɪ] N (frm) → calumnia f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

calumny

n (liter) → Schmähung f (geh), → Verunglimpfung f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

calumny

[ˈkæləmnɪ] n (frm) → calunnia

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The headstones were fallen and broken across; brambles overran the ground; the fence was mostly gone, and cows and pigs wandered there at will; the place was a dishonor to the living, a calumny on the dead, a blasphemy against God.

View in context

"But how will you make yourself proof against calumny? You should read history--look at ostracism, persecution, martyrdom, and that kind of thing.

"What I mean by being proof against calumny is being able to point to the fact as a contradiction."

View in context

This was no calumny, and yet I remember well, somewhere far back in the late seventies, that the crew of that ship were, if anything, rather proud of her evil fame, as if they had been an utterly corrupt lot of desperadoes glorying in their association with an atrocious creature.

View in context

Yet we know by happy experience that the public trust was not betrayed; nor has the purity of our public councils in this particular ever suffered, even from the whispers of calumny.

View in context

Think better of it, Barbara, and pay no more heed to foolish advice and calumny, but read your book again, and read it with attention.

View in context

If your enemy had told me that you had ever talked as you talk now, that you had ever looked as you look now, I would have turned my back on him as the utterer of a vile calumny against a just, a brave, an upright man.

View in context

"Supposing you are right in your indictment, how can you raise any question of calumny or gossip, in your case?

View in context

"Yes; that is to say, he fought for the independence of the Greeks, and hence arises the calumny."

"Yes, if you will not consent to retract that infamous calumny."

View in context

OEDIPUS Thou shalt rue it Twice to repeat so gross a calumny.

If he deems That I have harmed or injured him in aught By word or deed in this our present trouble, I care not to prolong the span of life, Thus ill-reputed; for the calumny Hits not a single blot, but blasts my name, If by the general voice I am denounced False to the State and false by you my friends.

View in context