Slander
/ˈslændər/
nounverbB2
Definition
Slander means to say something untrue about a person that can hurt their good name or reputation. It usually involves spoken words, not written ones. People use slander to spread bad or false information that can cause problems for the person being talked about.
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See It in Action
Noun: A false spoken statement that harms someone's reputation.
- •The politician sued the newspaper for slander after they said untrue things about him.
- •She was accused of slander because she told lies about her coworker.
- •Slander can cause serious damage to a person's life and work.
Verb: To say false and damaging things about someone.
- •He slandered his neighbor by spreading false rumors.
- •Don't slander people just because you are angry.
- •They claimed she slandered their company during the meeting.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "slander" like "lie," but a lie that is told about someone to make others think badly of them.
- ✓Picture a person whispering false stories about a friend to others, causing trouble or sadness.
- ✓It's the feeling of unfairness when someone says bad things about you that are not true.
- ✓Sounds like "SLAN-der" → imagine a slippery "land" where false words slide around and hurt people.
- ✓In stories, slander is like a villain spreading rumors to make a hero look bad.
- ✓NOT like "truth" (which is honest), slander is false and harmful.
- ✓NOT like "gossip" (which can be true or false), slander always means false and damaging talk.
- ✓NOT like "libel" (which is written false statements), slander is spoken.
Try Other Words
- •Defamation: saying or writing false things to harm someone's reputation (Use in formal or legal contexts)
- •Rumor: unconfirmed information that may or may not be true (Use when the truth is unknown or unclear)
- •Gossip: talking about others, often personal matters, sometimes unkind or untrue (Use when the talk is informal and not always false)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: No clear prefix or suffix; "slander" is a base word
- •Etymology: From Old French "esclandre" meaning scandal or disgrace, originally from Latin "scandalum" meaning offense or cause of shame
- •Historical development: Used since the 14th century to mean spoken false statements that damage reputation
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in law and everyday speech to describe harmful false speech about others, especially spoken (not written)
Reflect & Connect
•How can slander affect a person’s life differently than just a simple lie?
•What are some ways people can protect themselves from slander in daily life?
Fill in the blanks
1.When someone commits slander, they speak ___ that can hurt another person's reputation.
2.Slander is different from gossip because slander is always ___ and harmful.
3.If you hear slander about someone, it is important to check if the information is ___ before believing it.
4.People who slander others often do it to gain ___ or cause trouble.
5.In court, proving slander requires showing that the false words caused ___ to the person’s life.
6.Unlike libel, slander is usually ___, not written down.
7.Someone who slanders another person may have to ___ for the damage they caused.