calumniate

English

WOTD – 16 February 2007

Etymology

From Latin calumniātus, perfect active participle of calumnior (I accuse falsely).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kəˈlʌmni.eɪt/
  • (file)

Verb

calumniate (third-person singular simple present calumniates, present participle calumniating, simple past and past participle calumniated)

  1. (transitive) To make hurtful untrue comments about.
    • a. 1555, John Hooper, A Brief Treatise respecting Judge Hales:
      Hatred unto the truth did always falsely report and calumniate all godly men's doings.
    • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIX, in Romance and Reality. [], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, [], →OCLC, page 229:
      I missed her when she was not on the stage, in spite of the absorbing interest of that most calumniated and ill-used person, the Jew. (Speaking of Fanny Kemble as Portia)
    • 1905, Robert Louis Stevenson, “chapter 1”, in Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes:
      There are adherents of each of the four French parties—Legitimists, Orleanists, Imperialists, and Republicans—in this little mountain-town; and they all hate, loathe, decry, and calumniate each other.
  2. (transitive) To levy a false charge against, especially of a vague offense, with the intent to damage someone's reputation or standing.

Synonyms

Translations

Latin

Participle

calumniāte

  1. vocative masculine singular of calumniātus

Spanish

Verb

calumniate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of calumniar combined with te
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