Defamation

In English law, there is an offence, (or tort), of defamation (more fully and formally defamation of character). This is "The action, offence, or charge of damaging the reputation of a person or organization by making or disseminating false or unprovable statements; libel or slander" (OED, 2016). The person or organization defamed (whose repuation etc has been traduced) has grounds for bringing an action against the person alleged to have attacked the relevant reputation. Two distinct offences fall within the general offence of defamation: libel and slander. Lawyers and academics should be careful to distinguish between them. (In ordinary conversation, people often use them interchangeably.)

• Libel is defamation made in 'a permanent form', such as writing, print, film, broadcast or plays. Its publication may make its publisher and any other person involved in its publication, such as an editor, culpable in law, as well as the author.
• Slander is defamation by impermanent means, such as speech or gesture. The distinction does not apply in Scots law, where the offences of libel and slander are united in the tort of defamation.

Both slander and libel may be used as nouns (the names of the offences) or as verbs: 'to perform the offence'.