Both Uses of
libel
in
Middlemarch
- I say, the most ungentlemanly trick a man can be guilty of is to come among the members of his profession with innovations which are a libel on their time-honored procedure.†
Chpt 5 *
- Those who are hostile to me are glad to believe any libel uttered by a loose tongue against me.†
Chpt 7
Definition:
-
(libel) a published falsehood that damages a someone's reputation; or the act of publishing such a falsehoodeditor's notes: The legal distinction between libel and slander is that libel is an oral offense while slander is written or published.