Defamatory; of the nature of a libel; constituting or involving libel. Libelous per se. A defamatory publication is libelous per se when the words are of such a character that an action may be brought upon them without the necessity of showing any special damage, the imputation being such that the law will presume that any one so slandered must have suffered damage.
LIBELOUS
TheLaw.com Law Dictionary & Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed.