vilification

noun

vil·​i·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌvi-lə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce vilification (audio)
1
: the act of vilifying : abuse
2
: an instance of vilifying : a defamatory utterance

Examples of vilification in a Sentence

warned that the constant vilification of candidates for public office was undermining the people's faith in the political system
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This charge, no less than a modern-day blood libel, is just the latest attack in Amnesty's longstanding campaign of lawfare against and vilification of the State of Israel, having previously accused the Jewish state of the equally unfounded charge of apartheid. Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 This leads into how President-elect Trump should not stoop to pettiness, vilification, or revenge. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 19 Nov. 2024 There is a logic to Donald Trump’s dangerous pattern of false vilification which was forecasted in Eric Hoffer’s The True Believer, which revealed the effectiveness of division to fuel mass movements over history. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024 Next, the pop star, 25, opened up about how incorporating her sexuality into her work has resulted in some of the vilification that Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera have experienced over the years. Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vilification 

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vilification was in 1630

Dictionary Entries Near vilification

Cite this Entry

“Vilification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vilification. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on vilification

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