8 letters · 10 points in Scrabble
adjective (used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign
originEtymology tree English libel Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ōtsos or *-otsos Latin -ōsus Old French -usbor. Middle English -ous English -ous English libelous From libel + -ous.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0