slander
verb
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Definition of slander
(Entry 1 of 2)
slander
nounDefinition of slander (Entry 2 of 2)
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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
Before his sentencing, Kim apologized for slandering North Korea's leadership, collecting and passing confidential information to South Korea, and joining a smear campaign against the North's human rights situation. — Los Angeles Times Staff Reporting, latimes.com, "A look at the 3 Americans released by North Korea," 9 May 2018 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 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The psychological, emotional and financial bullying included a slander campaign in the media that left my entire family reeling in shock and disbelief. — Fox News, "Bill Cosby accuser Andrea Constand's full victim impact statement to the court about her experience," 26 Sep. 2018 Even before social media made slander user-friendly, a woman’s reputation could be destroyed with a single cruel rumor or photo. — Susanna Schrobsdorff, Time, "When the Barrier Between Personal Misconduct and Professional Competence Crumbles," 15 Feb. 2018 In March 2014, Gibson sued ESF and Staples for breach of contract, wrongful termination, and slander. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "“He never paid us a cent”—man suing Tesla has his own lawsuit-filled past," 31 Oct. 2018 Bolsonaro will still have to stand trial for accusations of slander and incitation to rape. — Mauricio Savarese, Fox News, "Brazilian court spares far-right candidate from racism trial," 12 Sep. 2018 Think of Lucrezia Borgia, traduced by slander and gossip, and of Isabella d’Este, greedy for art. — Sarah Dunant, New York Times, "Who Was Vittoria Colonna? Just One of Italy’s Great Poets...," 1 June 2018 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. 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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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The Difference Between Slander and Libel
The Difference Between Slander and Libel
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Statistics for slander
Last Updated
1 Jan 2019
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)
slander
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of slander (Entry 2 of 2)
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)
slander
nounKids Definition of slander (Entry 2 of 2)
slander
transitive verb
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Legal Definition of slander
(Entry 1 of 2)
slander
nounLegal Definition of slander (Entry 2 of 2)
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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