The act of saying false and harmful things about someone in order to damage their reputation. It usually refers to spoken, not written, lies.
“Slander” comes from Old French “esclandre,” from Late Latin “scandalum,” meaning “cause of offense” or “stumbling block.” That Latin word is also the source of “scandal.” English narrowed the meaning to false, damaging statements about a person.
Hidden in “slander” is the same root as “scandal” and even “stumble”—it originally meant something that makes people trip morally. Modern law even splits reputation damage into two paths: spoken “slander” and written “libel.” The word shows how dangerous a well‑aimed lie can be in a community.
Slander laws and practices have often been used in gendered ways, including to police women’s sexual reputations or silence accusations against powerful men. Slanderous speech about women has frequently focused on morality and sexuality.
Use ‘slander’ neutrally for false, damaging spoken statements; be aware of historical misuse to discredit marginalized people and avoid repeating gendered or sexualized rumors.
["defamation","libel (for written)","false accusation"]
Women who spoke out about abuse or discrimination have often been threatened with or subjected to slander suits, yet their testimonies have driven important legal and social reforms.
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