Reputation is the general esteem held of a person’s character and comportment. Regarding trial proceedings, under Federal Rule of Evidence Rule 405, when evidence on a person’s character is admissible, it may be proved through testimony on that person’s reputation. In defamation suits, harm to the plaintiff’s reputation may be factored into the court’s damage award as well. For example, in January 2020, the voting system company Dominion sued an attorney of President Trump for defamation, claiming that their claims about Dominion’s complicity in alleged election fraud were outlandish and caused the company reputation injury.
[Last updated in April of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]