Legal Definitions - defamatory statement

A defamatory statement is a statement that harms the reputation of a person. It can cause people to think badly of that person and feel emotions like hate, contempt, ridicule, fear, or dislike towards them.

For example, if someone spreads a rumor that a teacher is stealing from the school, it could harm the teacher's reputation and cause others to view them negatively. This would be considered a defamatory statement.

Another example could be if someone writes a false review about a business, claiming that they had a terrible experience when they actually never visited the business. This could harm the business's reputation and cause people to avoid it, which would be considered a defamatory statement.

These examples illustrate how a defamatory statement can harm a person or business's reputation and cause negative emotions towards them.