Slander is the crime or wrongdoing of making false spoken statements that damage someone's reputation. If you tell classmates that another student stole money from the teacher's desk when you know it's not true, you're slandering that person. The lie spreads, people start avoiding the accused student, and real harm results from words you knew were false.

Slander differs from simply being wrong or mistaken. If you honestly but incorrectly believe something and repeat it, that's not slander. Slander requires knowing your statement is false or being recklessly careless about whether it's true. It also requires that you actually harm someone's reputation: their standing in the community, their ability to make friends, or their opportunities.

The word comes from legal language, where slander is considered a civil wrong for which victims can sue. It contrasts with libel, which means false written statements rather than spoken ones. In everyday conversation, people might say “That's slander!” when they mean “That's a lie about me!” but technically, slander is specifically about spoken lies that cause real damage to reputation.