- Today's Word
Defamatory
[dih-FAM-uh-tor-ee]
Definition
- (adjective) Containing false statements or claims that damage the reputation of a person, group, or organization. As an adjective, it describes communication that unjustly tarnishes someone’s character or standing in society.
Example
The newspaper was sued for publishing defamatory statements about the local politician without verifying their accuracy.
Fun Fact
The word “defamatory” traces its roots back to Medieval Latin “defamatorius,” stemming from the verb “defamare,” which literally means “to take away one’s good name.” In medieval Europe, defamation cases were initially handled by church courts, as reputation was considered a matter of soul and honor. By the 16th century, cases moved to common law courts, leading to the development of modern defamation laws. The distinction between written defamation (libel) and spoken defamation (slander) emerged during this period.
(adjective) Deserving praise or reward on the basis of genuine effort, skill, or achievement.
The meritorious work of the research team went unrecognized for years before a junior colleague finally submitted it for the award it had always deserved.
Meritorious derives from the Latin meritorius, meaning “that by which money is earned,” rooted in merere — “to earn” or “to deserve.” The same root gives us merit, meritocracy, and emeritus — all words built around the idea of something earned rather than given. It entered English in the 15th century, initially used in theological contexts to describe acts worthy of divine reward before expanding into its broader secular sense of anything genuinely deserving of recognition.