What term describes the malicious sharing of false information verbally?

The term that describes the malicious sharing of false information verbally is slander. Slander specifically refers to spoken statements that are harmful and untrue about a person, and such statements can damage the reputation of the individual being discussed. To qualify as slander, the false statement must have been made to a third party and must cause injury to the subject’s reputation.

In contrast, libel refers to written or published defamatory statements rather than spoken ones. Innuendo involves an implication or indirect suggestion, often leaving the gist of the statement open to interpretation, without necessarily being outright false. Perjury constitutes the act of lying under oath, which is a legal term but does not apply to the verbal sharing of false information outside of a formal legal context. Understanding these distinctions is essential in discerning the appropriate legal terms associated with defamatory statements.