What is the term for false and damaging spoken information about a person?

Slander refers specifically to the act of making false spoken statements that damage someone's reputation. In the context of communication, slander is a form of defamation that involves verbal expressions rather than written ones. It is crucial to understand that for slander to be legally actionable, the statement must be false, made to third parties, and result in harm to the individual's reputation.

Each of the other terms has its specific context: libel involves written false statements, defamation encompasses both slander and libel as a broader category, while malpractice pertains to professional negligence. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify why slander is the correct term to use when referring to spoken words that unjustly harm someone’s reputation.