Question:easy

Defaming someone by words or by gestures is called in Torts as:

Updated On: Jul 13, 2026
  • Libel
  • Slander
  • Nuisance
  • None
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The libel-slander divide in tort law runs entirely on one test, permanence. Whichever form the defamatory statement takes, that single question decides which label applies.

  1. Libel: this label is reserved for defamation that leaves a lasting, visible trace, something written, printed, or otherwise recorded so it can be looked at again later, spoken words and gestures leave no such lasting trace, so libel is not the right fit.
  2. Slander: spoken words fade as soon as they are said, and a gesture, a rude sign or an insulting mimicry, disappears the moment it is made, both lack the permanence that libel requires, and the law groups anything defamatory that is fleeting like this under slander, which is exactly what the question describes.
  3. Nuisance: this tort protects a person's enjoyment of their land or a right shared by the public, it sits in a completely different part of tort law and has nothing to do with harm to reputation.
  4. None: since there is a specific, well established term for this exact situation, ruling out all the options is not correct.

Testing the permanence question shows that words and gestures both fail it in the same way, which is why the law treats them alike, as slander.

The correct answer is Slander.

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