aspersion

/əˈspɜrʒən/
noun
  1. An attack on someone's reputation or character; a slanderous or critical remark.
    • She cast aspersions on his honesty during the meeting.
    • The politician's speech was full of aspersions against his opponent.
    • I don't appreciate the aspersions you're making about my work ethic.
  2. The act of sprinkling, especially with holy water in a religious ceremony.
    • The priest performed the aspersion of the congregation with holy water.
    • The ritual included an aspersion of the altar before the service began.
    • During the baptism, the aspersion of water symbolized spiritual cleansing.
What does "aspersion" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean