Noun

Singular slander

Plural slanders

slander (plural slanders)

1. a false, malicious statement (spoken or published), especially one which is injurious to a person's reputation; the making of such a statement

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:slander

Verb

Infinitive to slander

Third person singular slanders

Simple past slandered

Past participle slandered

Present participle slandering

to slander (third-person singular simple present slanders, present participle slandering, simple past and past participle slandered)

1. to utter a slanderous statement

Synonyms

• defame
• libel
• See also Wikisaurus:defame

In law, defamation—also called calumny, vilification, slander (for spoken words), and libel (for written 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. It is usually, but not always, 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.