Defamation—also called calumny, vilification, traducement, slander (for transitory statements), and libel (for written, broadcast, or otherwise published words)—is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, or nation a negative image. This can be also any disparaging statement made by one person about another, which is communicated or published. It is usually a requirement that this claim be false and that the publication is communicated to someone other than the person defamed (the claimant).

In common law jurisdictions, slander refers to a malicious, false, and defamatory spoken statement or report, while libel refers to any other form of communication such as written words or images. Most jurisdictions allow legal actions, civil and/or criminal, to deter various kinds of defamation and retaliate against groundless criticism. Related to defamation is public disclosure of private facts, which arises where one person reveals information that is not of public concern, and the release of which would offend a reasonable person. "Unlike [with] libel, truth is not a defense for invasion of privacy."

False light laws are "intended primarily to protect the plaintiff's mental or emotional well-being." If a publication of information is false, then a tort of defamation might have occurred. If that communication is not technically false but is still misleading, then a tort of false light might have occurred.

In most civil law jurisdictions, defamation is dealt with as a crime rather than a tort.

A person who harms another's reputation may be referred to as a famacide, defamer, or slanderer. The Latin phrase famosus libellus means a libelous writing.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /bɪˈsmɜːtʃ/
• (US) IPA: /bɪˈsmɝːtʃ/
• Audio (US) (file)
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)tʃ

to besmirch (third-person singular simple present besmirches, present participle besmirching, simple past and past participle besmirched)

1. (transitive) To make dirty; to soil.
2. (transitive) To tarnish, especially someone's reputation; to debase.

   The newspaper was on a campaign to besmirch the actor.

• Internet (12)
• Specific Cases (6)

• Civil Defense Lawyers@ (167)
• Personal Injury Lawyers@ (1,762)

• The Future of Libel Law and Independent Appellate Review: Making Sense of Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc.
  paranzino.com
  Originally published in Cornell Law Review by Gary A. Paranzino. (March, 1985)
• New South Wales Law Reform Commission: Defamation
  austlii.edu.au
  Complete text of the Commission's report.
• Defamation Act 1996
  opsi.gov.uk
  Complete text of the official legislation for the UK.