Publication Definition: Communication of the alleged defamatory statement to a third-party. An essential requirement of a successful defamation claim.In Barrett, Justice Corrigan noted that:"Publication is a necessary element of all defamation claims, and includes every repetition and distribution of a defamatory statement."In Breakdown Services, Justice Pregerson wrote:"To state a claim for slander, a plaintiff must establish the intentional publication of a statement of fact that is false, unprivileged, and has a natural tendency to injure or which causes special damage."Publication means communication to a third person who understands the defamatory meaning of the statement and its application to the person to whom reference is made." REFERENCES: Barrett v. Rosenthal, 146 P. 3d 510 (California Supreme Court, 2006)Breakdown Services Ltd. v. Now Casting, Inc., 550 F. Supp. 2d 1123 (California, 2007) Duhaime, Lloyd, Defamation Law Duhaime, Lloyd, Duhaime's Legal Dictionary Duhaime, Lloyd, Duhaime's Legal Citations & Abbreviations Categories & Topics: Tort and Personal Injury Law Dictionary Find you are constantly looking up definitions? Try our search provider (works in most modern browsers) If you find an error or omission in Duhaime's Legal Dictionary, or if you have legal term suggestion, we'd love to hear from you!