Defamantur

Defamantur is a Latin verb form meaning “they are defamed” or “they are slandered.” It is the third-person plural present passive indicative of a first-conjugation verb such as defamare, which means to defame or to slander. The form follows the standard present passive endings of the 1st conjugation: -or, -ris, -tur, -mur, -minī, -ntur; hence defamantur.

In use, defamantur describes the subject undergoing the action of defamation, with the agent often expressed by a prepositional phrase such as a/ab + ablative (for example, defamantur ab inimicis, they are defamed by enemies). The passive voice highlights the impact on the subject’s reputation rather than the actor. As with other Latin passive forms, defamantur can appear in various sentence contexts, including legal, political, and rhetorical prose, where reputation or accusation is at issue.

Etymologically, the verb stem defam- derives from fama, meaning rumor or fame, with the de- prefix intensifying or directing the sense toward removing or harming reputation. Related forms include the active defamant (they defame) and the passive infinitive defamari (to be defamed). The corresponding participle defamatus (m.)/defamata (f.) describes someone who has been defamed.

See also: fama, diffamare (to slander), defamatio (defamation).