anti-SLAPP law

noun

an·​ti-SLAPP law ˌan-tē-ˈslap- How to pronounce anti-SLAPP law (audio)
ˌan-tī-
plural anti-SLAPP laws
: a law intended to prevent SLAPP suits
Ken Paulson, who directs the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, said anti-SLAPP laws are like "free-speech insurance." "The key to an anti-SLAPP law is to prevent people with a lot of money and resources from intimidating people from saying anything negative about them," he said.Kim Bellware

Examples of anti-SLAPP law in a Sentence

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.
The dancers' case was put on hold in March after Lizzo appealed a decision by the judge that largely rejected her efforts to dismiss the lawsuit under California’s anti-SLAPP law. Danielle Bacher, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024 The court also ruled that the 2019 anti-SLAPP law is indeed constitutional, refuting a number of claims made by SmileDirectClub claiming the opposite. Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 23 Sep. 2024 Many states also have anti-SLAPP legislation, and a federal anti-SLAPP law was proposed in 2022. Ellen Ioanes, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 Netflix moved to dismiss the lawsuit under California’s anti-SLAPP law, which allows for the early dismissal of lawsuits intended to chill free speech. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 John Eastman, a former Trump attorney also charged in the case, moved to dismiss the indictment on Friday under the same anti-SLAPP law. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 26 June 2024 The motion to dismiss the indictment is based on Arizona's anti-SLAPP law. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 26 June 2024 California was the first state to pass an anti-SLAPP law, in 1992, to target lawsuits that abuse the judicial system. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024 What does the case mean for Arizona's anti-SLAPP law? Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anti-SLAPP law was in 1991

Dictionary Entries Near anti-SLAPP law

Cite this Entry

“Anti-SLAPP law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-SLAPP%20law. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

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