Legal Definitions - innuendo

Innuendo is a type of indirect hint. It comes from the Latin word "innuere," which means "to nod forward." In legal cases, innuendo is used to show that someone made bad statements about another person that were defamatory (hurtful to their reputation).

For example, if someone says "the former mayor is a crook," and there is only one living ex-mayor, then the innuendo is that the statement is about that specific person.

In legal cases, innuendo is used to explain the defamatory meaning of a statement when it is not clear from the statement itself. This can include things like the context in which the statement was made, or the special knowledge of the people who heard or read it.

Overall, innuendo is a way to show that someone said something hurtful about another person, even if they didn't say it directly.