Definitions
- Referring to the act of damaging someone's reputation or character through false statements or accusations. - Describing the state of being defamed or having one's reputation tarnished. - Talking about the legal offense of defaming someone, which can result in civil or criminal charges.
- Referring to the act of making false and damaging statements about someone, usually spoken rather than written. - Describing the state of being slandered or having one's reputation damaged by false statements. - Talking about the legal offense of slander, which can result in civil or criminal charges.
List of Similarities
- 1Both involve making false statements about someone.
- 2Both can damage someone's reputation or character.
- 3Both can result in legal consequences.
- 4Both are forms of defamation.
- 5Both can be intentional or unintentional.
What is the difference?
- 1Medium: Defamy is typically associated with written statements while slander is associated with spoken statements.
- 2Proof: Defamy requires proof of publication or dissemination of false statements while slander only requires proof of spoken false statements.
- 3Severity: Defamy is considered a more serious offense than slander and can result in harsher legal consequences.
- 4Scope: Defamy can refer to any false statement that damages someone's reputation while slander specifically refers to spoken false statements.
Remember this!
Defamy and slander are both forms of defamation that involve making false statements about someone that can damage their reputation or character. However, the difference between defamy and slander lies in the medium of the false statements, the required proof, the severity of the offense, the scope of the term, and the origin of the words.
