What is the term for oral defamation?

The term for oral defamation is slander. Slander specifically refers to the act of making false spoken statements about someone that can harm their reputation. This form of defamation occurs through verbal communication, as opposed to libel, which involves written or published statements. Understanding the distinction between slander and libel is crucial, especially in legal contexts, because they are governed by different rules and considerations.

While tort is a general term for a wrongful act that causes harm or loss to someone, and fraud refers to wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain, they do not specifically address the nature of defamation as slander does. Therefore, slander accurately captures the essence of oral defamation in the context of legal terminology.