slander
verb
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Definition of slander
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to utter slander against : defame
slander
nounDefinition of slander (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another's reputation
2 : a false and defamatory oral statement about a person — compare libel
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Other Words from slander
Verb
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noun
Noun
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adjective
Synonyms for slander
Synonyms: Verb
asperse, blacken, calumniate, defame, libel, malign, smear, traduce, vilify
Synonyms: Noun
aspersing, blackening, calumniation, calumny, character assassination, defamation, defaming, libel, libeling (or libelling), maligning, smearing, traducing, vilification, vilifying
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Examples of slander in a Sentence
Verb
She was accused of slandering her former boss.Noun
She is being sued for slander. He was a target of slander. We've heard countless unsupported slanders about her.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Beijing was quick to respond, urging Washington to stop slandering China and claiming that the Chinese government does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs. — Fox News, "China, Russia take their turn at the UN," 28 Sep. 2018 The kind that makes other victims not want to speak out over fears of their character or their work will be slandered. — Michael Arceneaux, Glamour, "If We Want Men to Be a Part of #MeToo, We Have to Stop Gendering the Movement," 27 Aug. 2018 Its popular news app Jinri Toutiao came under investigation in June for having a comic’s video on its site that allegedly slandered a different Chinese war hero. — Liza Lin, WSJ, "China Bans Ads on Booming Video App," 10 July 2018 Several were charged with mocking or slandering the Islamic State. — Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times, "The Case of the Purloined Poultry: How ISIS Prosecuted Petty Crime," 1 July 2018 God’s mercy and justice on those who have blasphemed God’s Holy Name, those who slander and bear false witness, and those who commit murder or justify murder as a means for fighting criminality in our country. — Jake Maxwell Watts, WSJ, "Clash Between Duterte and Catholic Church in Philippines Intensifies," 9 July 2018 God’s mercy and justice on those who have blasphemed God’s holy name, those who slander and bear false witness and those who commit murder or justify murder as a means for fighting criminality. — Jim Gomez, The Seattle Times, "Bishops call for 3-day fasting after Duterte says God stupid," 9 July 2018 The former business manager for Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin said Tuesday she's being unfairly defamed in a lawsuit accusing her along with two of his children of misusing his credit cards and slandering him. — Mike Schneider, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Buzz Aldrin's former business manager says she's being defamed in lawsuit," 26 June 2018 Looking at the suburbs, therefore, provides a way of understanding a vast segment of the public without the need to endorse or slander their homes. — Anthony Alofsin, The Atlantic, "A Defense of the Suburbs," 6 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
To invoke a legal term, this is a slander, and many at this point resent it. — Daniel Henninger, WSJ, "High Noon for Judge Kavanaugh," 3 Oct. 2018 Second thing, accusing someone of gang rape is slander, per se. — Fox News, "Kavanaugh denies assault allegations in Fox News interview," 25 Sep. 2018 Bolsonaro will still have to stand trial for accusations of slander and incitation to rape. — Mauricio Savarese, The Seattle Times, "Brazilian court spares far-right candidate from racism trial," 11 Sep. 2018 The psychological, emotional and financial bullying included a slander campaign in the media and left my entire family reeling in shock and disbelief. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Read Andrea Constand's Powerful Impact Statement About Bill Cosby," 25 Sep. 2018 There is a long history of using libel and slander laws to protect especially private figures from false claims. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Apple crushed Alex Jones — then tossed him a lifeline," 8 Aug. 2018 In 2015, Monica Berlin filed a lawuit against San Mateo County supervisors, Foster City police and others claiming assault, libel and slander, reported the Half Moon Bay Review. — Don Sweeney, sacbee, "Woman says she set hay bale fires to foil zombies and a cult, prosecutors say," 12 July 2018 The country’s National Police Agency said in March that the number of reports of online libel and slander had increased to 11,136 in 2016 from 9,425 in 2013. — Satoshi Sugiyama, New York Times, "Japanese Blogger Is Killed After Giving Lecture on Online Trolls," 26 June 2018 Besides libel and slander, the lawsuit also accuses Shooter of intentionally inflicting emotional distress. — Dustin Gardiner, azcentral, "Former Arizona Rep. Don Shooter sued for slander by accuser, Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita," 15 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slander.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Learn More about slander
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The Difference Between Slander and Libel
The Difference Between Slander and Libel
We'll tell you the secret
Statistics for slander
Last Updated
18 Dec 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for slander
The first known use of slander was in the 13th century
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More Definitions for slander
slander
verb
English Language Learners Definition of slander
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to make a false spoken statement that causes people to have a bad opinion of someone
slander
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of slander (Entry 2 of 2)
: the act of making a false spoken statement that causes people to have a bad opinion of someone
: a false spoken statement that is made to cause people to have a bad opinion of someone
See the full definition for slander in the English Language Learners Dictionary
slander
verb
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Kids Definition of slander
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to make a false and damaging statement against
slander
nounKids Definition of slander (Entry 2 of 2)
: a false statement that damages another person's reputation
slander
transitive verb
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Legal Definition of slander
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to utter slander against
slander
nounLegal Definition of slander (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : defamation of a person by unprivileged oral communication made to a third party also : defamatory oral statements
2
: the tort of oral defamation
sued his former employer for slander
— compare defamation, false light, libel
Note:
An action for slander may be brought without alleging and proving special damages if the statements in question have a plainly harmful character, as by imputing to the plaintiff criminal guilt, serious sexual misconduct, or conduct or a characteristic affecting his or her business or profession.
Other Words from slander
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adjective
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