Which term refers to the act of making false statements to damage someone’s reputation or to mislead others?

• A. Defamation
• B. False Advertising
• C. Misrepresentation
• D. Sliding

Answer: (A)

Defamation is the act of making false statements about someone that damage their reputation or mislead others. It can take the form of libel (written) or slander (spoken). For defamation to occur, the statement must be false, presented as a factual claim, and communicated to someone other than the person it concerns, resulting in harm. Opinions do not constitute defamation unless they are stated as facts that can be proven false. The other terms describe different concepts: false advertising targets deceptive marketing claims, misrepresentation involves false statements of fact in a contract or transaction, and sliding isn’t a standard term in this context. Defamation best captures the idea of harming reputation or misleading others through false statements.