View synonyms for slander

slander

[ slan-der ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

defamation; calumny:
The accusations are based on hearsay, rumor, or intentional slander, and remain undocumented and unproved.
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.
Law. defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing, pictures, etc.: Compare libel ( def 1a ).
The plaintiff amended his complaint to add a count of slander arising from the statements made at the board meetings.

verb (used with object)

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)

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

slander

/ ˈslɑːndə /

noun

law
1. defamation in some transient form, as by spoken words, gestures, etc
2. a slanderous statement, etc
any false or defamatory words spoken about a person; calumny

verb

to utter or circulate slander (about)

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Confusables Note

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.

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Derived Forms

ˈslanderer, noun
ˈslanderously, adverb
ˈslanderousness, noun
ˈslanderous, adjective

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Other Words From

slan·der·er noun
slan·der·ing·ly adverb
slan·der·ous adjective
out·slan·der verb (used with object)
re·slan·der verb (used with object)
un·slan·dered adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of slander¹

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” ( 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

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Word History and Origins

Origin of slander¹

C13: via Anglo-French from Old French escandle, from Late Latin scandalum a cause of offence; see scandal

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Example Sentences

That Stone would slander the democratic, pro-Western, EuroMaidan revolution as a CIA coup is no surprise.

From The Daily Beast

But none of this stops Kennedy from trafficking in slander and nonsense.

From The Daily Beast

Martyrdom, in this context, being defined as “mockery, slander, ostracism.”

From The Daily Beast

Obviously, a federal judge so inclined could very easily find that the offensive name constitutes fighting words or slander.

From The Daily Beast

Alinejad spoke with IranWire about the slander and how she plans to fight it.

From The Daily Beast

Instead of writing slander and flat blasphemy, they propose to draw it, and not draw it mild.

From Project Gutenberg

As the actions of slander and libel have been described, only two others require notice, mandamus and quo warranto.

From Project Gutenberg

The publication of the same slander by different persons is not a joint tort, it is a distinct wrong done by each slanderer.

From Project Gutenberg

The Queen makes a long speech, expressing her deep grief at the calumnies and slander that beset her.

From Project Gutenberg

But if so—what an amazing and incredible thing was the mesh of slander and falsehood in which he had been entangled!

From Project Gutenberg

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