CALUMNY

noun (plural -nies) Etymology: Middle English ~e, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French calomnie, from Latin calumnia, from calvi to deceive; perhaps akin to Old English hōlian to slander, Greek kēlein to beguile Date: 15th century a misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation, the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to harm another's reputation, calumnious adjective calumniously adverb