SLAPP

What Does SLAPP Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

SLAPP means "Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation."

More Observations...

SLAPPs are lawsuits alleging defamation that are brought for the purpose of silencing, intimidating, or harassing critics for speaking out, usually on matters of public interest. Rather than going to court to seek justice, SLAPP filers seek to drain the target's financial resources and their motivation to continue. The term SLAPP was coined by Professors George W. Pring and Penelope Canan in their book SLAPPs: Getting Sued for Speaking Out (1996). SLAPPs are effective because even a meritless lawsuit may cost a lot of money to defend and could drag on for years. A number of countries and US states already have anti-SLAPP laws in place, to prevent such abuse of the judicial process. In the EU and UK anti-SLAP legislation is close to being approved. Check out the Public Participation Project's website for examples of SLAPPs and anti-SLAPP rulings.

Image for SLAPP

When I write SLAPP, I mean this:

SLAPPs are brought to silence, intimidate, or harass critics.

Summary of Key Points

"Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation" is, by far, the most common meaning for SLAPP when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

SLAPP
Definition:	Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation
Type:	Acronym
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults

An Academic Look at SLAPP

SLAAP is an acronym (i.e., an abbreviation spoken like a word). Acronyms differ from initialism abbreviations, which are pronounced using their individual letters (e.g., ILY (I Love You), PFP (Picture For Proof).