slander

American  

[slan-der] / ˈslæn dər /

noun

• slanders
  plural

1. defamation; calumny.

   The accusations are based on hearsay, rumor, or intentional slander, and remain undocumented and unproved.

2. a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report.

   The writer is spewing a despicable slander against an 87-year-old man, and without a shred of proof.

3. Law. defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing, pictures, etc..

   The plaintiff amended his complaint to add a count of slander arising from the statements made at the board meetings.

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verb (used with object)

• slanders,
  present (3rd person singular)
• slandered,
  past participle,  past
• slandering
  present participle

1. to utter slander against; defame.

   Both parties tried to concentrate on public policy issues in their campaigns, rather than slandering their political opponents.

   Synonyms:

   revile, vilify, malign

verb (used without object)

• slanders,
  present (3rd person singular)
• slandered,
  past participle,  past
• slandering
  present participle

1. to utter or circulate slander.

   They could find no skeletons in my closet, so their only option was to lie and slander.

slander British  

/ ˈslɑːndə /

noun

1. law

   1. defamation in some transient form, as by spoken words, gestures, etc

   2. a slanderous statement, etc

2. any false or defamatory words spoken about a person; calumny

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verb

1. to utter or circulate slander (about)

Usage

What's the difference between slander and libel?

Slander and libel and are both forms of defamation—the act of attacking someone’s character or reputation, especially by making false statements about them. The difference is that such statements are considered slander when they are simply spoken in the presence of other people, whereas they are considered libel when they are published or broadcast in some way, such as being written in an article, spoken on TV, or printed on a sign that’s posted in a public place.

Both words can also be used as verbs meaning to defame someone in such a way. In a legal context, slander and libel can both be considered crimes. For an action to be considered slander or libel, it must be proven to have done some damage to a person’s reputation. Slander is often much harder to prove because it involves simply saying something, whereas libel often involves a permanent record of the statement.

You can remember the difference by thinking about the first letter of each word: slander typically involves speaking, while libel typically involves a lasting document of what was said.

Here’s an example of slander and libel used correctly in a sentence.

Example: The court determined that the defendant’s statements constituted slander, but did not rise to the level of libel since they were not published or broadcast. 

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between slander and libel.

Commonly Confused

Defamation (and the less common calumny ) are general terms for untrue statements that attack or injure someone’s reputation. Slander and libel, while they are both used generally, are legally more specific: slander is spoken, while libel is written, broadcast, or published. If a statement is true, or is an opinion not stated as a fact, it cannot be considered defamation, and therefore cannot be prosecuted as slander or libel.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• slanderer
  noun
• slanderousness
  noun
• outslander
  verb (used with object)
• reslander
  verb (used with object)
• slanderous
  adjective
• unslandered
  adjective
• slanderingly
  adverb
• slanderously
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• slanders
  plural

Participles

• slandering
  present
• slandered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• slander
  simple
• slanders
  simple
• have slandered
  perfect
• has slandered
  perfect
• am slandering
  progressive
• are slandering
  progressive
• is slandering
  progressive
• have been slandering
  perfect progressive
• has been slandering
  perfect progressive

Past

• slandered
  simple
• had slandered
  perfect
• was slandering
  progressive
• were slandering
  progressive
• had been slandering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will slander
  simple
• will have slandered
  perfect
• will be slandering
  progressive
• will have been slandering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of slander

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun s(c)laundre, from Anglo-French esclaundre, Old French esclandre, alteration of escandle, from Late Latin scandalum “cause of offense, snare” ( see scandal); Middle English verb s(c)laundren “to cause to lapse morally, bring to disgrace, discredit, defame,” from Anglo-French esclaund(e)rer, from Old French esc(l)andrer, esc(l)andir, derivative of esclandre

Explanation

If your classmate spreads a false rumor that you cheated on the math test, that's slander. Slander is the act of saying an untrue, negative statement about someone. In law, the word slander is contrasted with libel, which is the act of making a false written statement about someone. The noun slander is from Old French esclandre, escandle, or "scandal," from Late Latin scandalum "stumbling block, offense."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

slander slanders slandered slandering

Professor Inger Brodey alleged that the school’s hiring was marred by “improprieties, slander, vindictiveness and manipulation” and accused Mr. Atkins of hiring “candidates who conform to unspoken, homogenous, ideological criteria.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Mr Berry and Mr Cash have previously denied the charges, and Beijing has called the allegations "malicious slander".

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2025

Webber also sued Dash for libel and slander in April 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025

The document was later ruled inadmissible at trial, but earlier this year, Italy’s highest court upheld Knox’s separate conviction for committing slander against Lumumba.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2025

“If you are indeed a knight, ser, defend that slander with your body.”

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

The Chinese embassy in London said it "strongly opposes" the accusations, calling them "completely fabricated and malicious slanders".

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2024

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said the individuals on trial are not Chinese law enforcement and called the charges "nothing but rumors and slanders."

From Reuters ● May 31, 2023

“TVN slanders our authorities. It slanders John Paul and it slanders all of our values,” Eleonora Sochal, 76, said.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 2, 2023

Often, when someone slanders another person, it’s over and done in a short amount of time.

From Encyclopedia.com ● Jun. 6, 2018

That kind of competition is barred among our breeds; and also the kind which consists of using poisons, or of starting slanders against your opponent.

From The Book of Life by Upton Sinclair

But when she realizes Iago has slandered Desdemona she turns into an enraged lioness, roundly exposing and condemning him—and Othello—with righteous fury.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026

It did not believe, for instance, in the legitimacy of grand juries, and slandered them for refusing to return indictments.

From Slate ● Apr. 3, 2026

Fueling a spat that has shattered ties between the long-allied nations, Gustavo Petro said, "Mr Trump has slandered me and insulted Colombia."

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2025

News through her attorney, “It saddens me beyond belief that my husband’s character could be slandered in such a way.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2025

At Rachel’s burial, Jackson angrily said, “I can and do forgive all my enemies. But those vile wretches who have slandered her must look to God for mercy.”

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Knox was convicted of slandering Mr Lumumba in 2011.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2024

These are people who have no compunctions about slandering working Americans while taking every opportunity themselves for slacking off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2023

The “Dubai police received a complaint from a car rental office, accusing her of slandering and defaming an employee amidst a dispute over car rental fees,” police said in their statement.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 25, 2023

"You are slandering me incorrectly. What you're saying is dishonest," Kennedy said, pointing angrily in her direction, while the congresswoman declared she was reclaiming her time.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2023

Meanwhile an “active counterrevolutionary” was convicted of slandering the Red Guards.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang

Related Words

• belittle
• besmirch
• defame
• defile
• denigrate
• disparage
• libel
• malign
• scandalize
• smear
• sully
• tarnish
• vilify