n.
Law the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation. Compare with
libel.
▸a false and malicious spoken statement.
v.
make false and malicious spoken statements about.
Derivative
- slanderer n.
- slanderous adj.
- slanderously adv.
Etymology
ME: from OFr. esclandre, alt. of escandle, from late L. scandalum (see scandal).
