Is It a Crime to Call Someone a Liar?

Calling someone a liar can be an insult, an opinion or hyperbole, all of which are protected by the First Amendment. But an assertion of fact soberly presented from someone in a position to know the truth can amount to libel.

Can you legally call someone a liar?

Depending on the context, calling someone a liar could be defamatory, causing harm to a reputation. But, more often than not, calling someone a liar may be simply an expression of opinion. In some settings, litigation surrounding the publication also implicates the First Amendment.

What happens when you call someone a liar?

If a lie is “a false statement that is made with deliberate intent to deceive,” then calling someone a liar means you know they are intentionally trying to mislead people.