n. from Latin innuere, "to nod toward." In law it means "an indirect hint." "Innuendo" is used in lawsuits for defamation (libel or slander), usually to show that the party suing was the person about whom the nasty statements were made or why the comments were defamatory. Example: "the former Mayor is a crook," and Joe Alabaster is the only living ex-Mayor, thus by innuendo Alabaster is the target of the statement; or "Joe Alabaster was paid $100,000 by the Hot Springs Water Company," when it was known that Hot Springs was bucking for a contract with the city. The innuendo is that Alabaster took a bribe.