vilification

[ vil-uh-fi-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of defaming or speaking ill of someone or something:

   Senior bishops are prepared to atone for the vilification their predecessors heaped on Darwin in the 1860s, when he put forward his theory of evolution.

Word History and Origins

Origin of vilification¹

First recorded in 1600–10; equivalent to vili(fy) ( def ) + -fication ( def )

Example Sentences

What does not help, in any way, is the vilification of people who do not have children.

From Los Angeles Times

Wolff also encouraged social critics to not be hoodwinked by "simple-minded arguments" that attempt to turn people off from all left-wing politics through generic vilification of bureaucrats.

From Salon

The Virology authors warn that the vilification of scientists whose research supports the zoonosis hypothesis will leave society defenseless when the next pandemic threat emerges.

From Los Angeles Times

And the Democrats on the subcommittee need to speak out about their GOP colleagues’ invasion of a scientist’s privacy and their vilification of science and scientists generally.

From Los Angeles Times

“This is the first such legal victory against a social media company under Australian vilifications laws, which may bear consequences to all social media companies operating in Australia,” it said.

From Seattle Times