What does the Defamation tag mean?

This tag describes a situation where a party makes a claim of defamation. Defamation is a legal claim involving injury to one's reputation caused by the utterance or publication of a false statement of fact. Libel and slander are forms of defamation. Libel applies to written statements, and slander applies to spoken statements. If you know that a particular case involves libel or slander, you can choose the "Libel" or "Slander" tags instead of "Defamation."