different between scandal vs libel

English

Etymology

From Middle French scandale (“indignation caused by misconduct or defamatory speech”), from Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum (“that on which one trips, cause of offense”, literally “stumbling block”), from Ancient Greek ????????? (skándalon, “a trap laid for an enemy, a cause of moral stumbling”), from Proto-Indo-European *skand- (“to jump”). Cognate with Latin scand? (“to climb”). First attested from Old Northern French escandle, but the modern word is a reborrowing. Doublet, via Old French esclandre, of slander.

Sense evolution from "cause of stumbling, that which causes one to sin, stumbling block" to "discredit to reputation, that which brings shame, thing of disgrace" is possibly due to early influence from other similar sounding words for infamy and disgrace (compare Old English scand (“ignominity, scandal, disgraceful thing”), Old High German scanda (“ignominy, disgrace”), Gothic ???????????????????????? (skanda, “shame, disgrace”)). See shand, shend.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?skænd?l/
• Rhymes: -ænd?l

Noun

scandal (countable and uncountable, plural scandals)

1. An incident or event that disgraces or damages the reputation of the persons or organization involved.
   • 1990, House of Cards, Season 1, Episode 1:

     Well, yes, a couple of leaks are all very well, but it takes more than that... A big scandal perhaps. A political scandal. Or a scandal about something people really understand: Sex... or money.
2. Damage to one's reputation.
3. Widespread moral outrage, indignation, as over an offence to decency.

4. (theology) Religious discredit; an act or behaviour which brings a religion into discredit.
5. (theology) Something which hinders acceptance of religious ideas or behaviour; a stumbling-block or offense.
6. Defamatory talk; gossip, slander.
   • 1855, Anthony Trollope, The Warden, chapter 1

     Scandal at Barchester affirmed that had it not been for the beauty of his daughter, Mr. Harding would have remained a minor canon; but here probably Scandal lied, as she so often does; for even as a minor canon no one had been more popular among his reverend brethren in the close, than Mr. Harding; and Scandal, before she had reprobated Mr. Harding for being made precentor by his friend the bishop, had loudly blamed the bishop for having so long omitted to do something for his friend Mr. Harding.

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Korean: ??? (seukaendeul)

Translations

Verb

scandal (third-person singular simple present scandals, present participle scandalling or scandaling, simple past and past participle scandalled or scandaled)

1. (obsolete) To treat opprobriously; to defame; to slander.
2. (obsolete) To scandalize; to offend.
   • 1855, Robert Potts, Liber Cantabrigiensis

     A propensity to scandal may partly proceed from an inability to distinguish the proper objects of censure

Romanian

Etymology

From French scandale, from Latin scandalum.

Noun

scandal n (plural scandaluri)

1. scandal

Declension

English

Etymology

From Old French libelle, from Latin libellus (“petition”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: l??b?l, IPA^(key): /?la?b?l/
• Rhymes: -a?b?l

Noun

libel (countable and uncountable, plural libels)

1. (countable) A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
2. (uncountable) The act or crime of displaying such a statement publicly.
3. (countable) Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.
4. (law, countable) A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of their cause of action, and of the relief they seek.
   • 1873, United States Supreme Court, The Rio Grande, 86 U.S. 178,179

     These provisions of law being in force, the steamer Rio Grande, owned, as was alleged, by persons in Mexico, being in the port of Mobile, in the Southern District of Alabama, certain materialmen, on the 26th of November, 1867, filed separate libels against her in the district court for the said district.

5. (countable) A brief writing of any kind, especially a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

   • 1382–1395, John Wycliffe et al. (translators), Matthew verse 31

     a libel of forsaking [divorcement]

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:slander

Usage notes

In common usage, the noun and verb is particularly used where the defamatory writing meets the legal definition of libel in a particular jurisdiction.

Translations

Verb

libel (third-person singular simple present libels, present participle (UK) libelling or (US) libeling, simple past and past participle (UK) libelled or (US) libeled)

1. (transitive) To defame someone, especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.

   He libelled her when he published that.
2. (law) To proceed against (a ship, goods, etc.) by filing a libel.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:defame

Translations

Derived terms

See also

• defamation
• defame
• slander

Anagrams

• Belli, I'll be, Ibell, Liebl

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li?b?l/
• Hyphenation: li?bel
• Rhymes: -?l

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin libella or libellula.

Noun

libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. dragonfly, insect of the infraorder Anisoptera
2. dragonfly or damselfly, insect of the order Odonata

Alternative forms

• libelle

Hyponyms

• (insect of the order Odonata): beekjuffer, breedscheenjuffer, pantserjuffer, waterjuffer, winterjuffer

Etymology 2

From Latin libellus, diminutive of liber (“book”).

Noun

libel n (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. booklet, notably a libel (defamatory writing)

Synonyms

• schotschrift
• smaadschrift

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Latin libella.

Noun

libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. A vial of a level.

References

• M. J. Koenen & J. Endepols, Verklarend Handwoordenboek der Nederlandse Taal (tevens Vreemde-woordentolk), Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff, 1969 (26th edition) [Dutch dictionary in Dutch]