Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

slander

/ˈslɑːndə/ noun

In Latin: calumnia, blasphēmia Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about slander at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A false or unsupported, malicious statement (spoken, not written), especially one which is injurious to a person's reputation; the making of such a statement.
Vehement (and often exaggerated) criticism of a character, franchise, etc.

verb

To utter a slanderous statement about; baselessly speak ill of; to wrong.

Origin

From Middle English slaundre, sclaundre, from Old French esclandre, from Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum (“stumbling block, temptation”), from Ancient Greek σκάνδαλον (skándalon, “scandal”). Doublet of scandal.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word