calumny

KAL-uhm-nee/ˈkæləmni/

2 meanings of calumny

1
damaging liesnoununcountable
False or distorted statements made in order to belittle or discredit someone; also, a single false accusation of this kind.
The senator dismissed the report as calumny cooked up by his rivals.
She spent years defending her father's name against calumny and gossip.
Similarslander, defamation, libel, vilification, disparagement
2
accuse falselyverbrareformaltransitive
To accuse someone falsely or bring false charges against them, in order to damage their reputation or standing.
Opposition writers continued to calumny the general long after his death.
His [Dominieus Dietrich's] memory has been basely calumnied by many German historians.
1849, Wolfgang Menzel, “The Great Elector”
UsageThe usual verb is calumniate: to calumniate a rival.
Similardefame, discredit, disparage, denigrate, badmouth

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Origin

The verb was taken from French calomnier ("to slander"). That word came from Late Latin calumniāre, which was itself formed from Latin calumniārī, meaning to blame unjustly, to misrepresent, or to accuse falsely. The noun goes back to Late Middle English calumnie, meaning a false accusation or slander. English took it either from Old French calomnie, meaning slander, or straight from the Latin noun calumnia, which meant a false statement, a false accusation, or a malicious charge. Calumnia may be related to calvor ("to deceive"), and its roots may reach back to Proto-Indo-European. Calumny and challenge are doublets.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 9 facts

The English verb calumny derives from French calomnier, meaning to slander. en.wiktionary.org
French calomnier derives through Late Latin calumniāre from Latin calumniārī. en.wiktionary.org
Latin calumniārī means to blame unjustly, misrepresent, or accuse falsely. en.wiktionary.org
The noun descends from Late Middle English calumnie, meaning false accusation or slander. en.wiktionary.org
The noun was borrowed either from Old French calomnie, meaning slander, or directly from Latin calumnia. en.wiktionary.org
Latin calumnia meant a false statement, false accusation, or malicious charge. en.wiktionary.org
Calumnia may be related to calvor, meaning to deceive. en.wiktionary.org
The word may ultimately have Proto-Indo-European roots through its possible relationship with calvor. en.wiktionary.org
Calumny and challenge are etymological doublets. en.wiktionary.org