Which statement best defines slander?

Which statement best defines slander?

• A. the act of physically harming another person
• B. the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation.
• C. a written defamation
• D. an act of negligence in medical care

Answer: (B)

Slander is false statements about someone’s character that are spoken to others and harm their reputation. This option captures that oral aspect of defamation, which is what slander specifically refers to. The written form of defamation is libel, so describing defamation in written form would not be slander. The other choices describe physical harm or negligence in care, which are not defamation at all. In practice, avoiding false, harmful statements helps protect everyone's reputation and reduces legal risk.

Slander is false statements about someone’s character that are spoken to others and harm their reputation. This option captures that oral aspect of defamation, which is what slander specifically refers to. The written form of defamation is libel, so describing defamation in written form would not be slander. The other choices describe physical harm or negligence in care, which are not defamation at all. In practice, avoiding false, harmful statements helps protect everyone's reputation and reduces legal risk.