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Aspersion

(pronounced uh-spuhr-zhun or uh-spuhr-shun)  noun

Definition

1. a remark that is negative or damaging; a belittling or disparaging comment.    2. the act of defaming or slandering; a false and malicious statement designed to injure one's reputation.

(Note: mostly used in the plural)

(Helpful tip: ASPERSION is an uncomplimentary term. You use it to express your disapproval of somebody else's criticism of a person or thing. Therefore, you wouldn't use it in the first person, such as "I am making aspersions ...")

Main Example

• A recent comment by Harvard's President Lawrence Summers--that women are perhaps inferior to men when it comes to math and science--has ignited a firestorm of criticism. Several female members of school and college faculties have protested sharply, saying that Summers had cast aspersions on women. Summers says his remarks were misconstrued and were made "in the spirit of academic inquiry."

Workplace Examples

• Before I begin my critique, let me assure everyone that, overall, I am very impressed. So please don't misconstrue any of my observations to be an aspersion because that is clearly not my intention. Take my comments as constructive criticism.



• I find it hard to debate or discuss a controversial topic with him in a civil and professional manner. Each time, he ends up casting aspersions on my motives or beliefs, and I really resent that.

Other Examples

• a large corporation that had been making aspersions, publicly, about the viability of its much smaller rival being taken to court by the latter
• during a trial, a defense lawyer protesting that the prosecutor is always ready to cast aspersions on the integrity of each defense witness
• an organization that, on economic grounds, has been calling for sharp cutbacks in the number of people immigrating into the U.S. each year stating its reasons very carefully so as not to be accused of making aspersions on immigrants themselves
• when asked what was the key factor behind his winning the White House in 1992, President Clinton telling an interviewer: "I focused relentlessly on the economy and high unemployment, and ignored the frequent aspersions on my character by the other side."

© 2005 V.J. Singal

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