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From Middle English detraction, detraccion, detraccioun, from Old French detraccion, from Latin dētractiō.

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detraction (countable and uncountable, plural detractions)

  1. The act of detracting something, or something detracted; taking away; diminution.
  2. A derogatory or malicious statement; a disparagement, misrepresentation or slander.
    • a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number). Of Industry in General”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. [], volumes (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, [], published 1830–1831, →OCLC:
      If indeed we consider all the frivolous and petulant discourse, the impertinent chattings, the rash censures, the spiteful detractions which are so rife in the world []
  3. (Roman Catholicism) The act of revealing previously unknown faults of another person to a third person.

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