Defamation

Etymology

From Latin “diffamare” (to spread abroad by ill report), from “dis-” (apart, widely) plus “fama” (report, rumor, reputation) — the same “fama” behind “fame” and “infamous.” Defamation is literally the scattering of your good name.

noun · /def-uh-MAY-shun/
The act of harming someone’s reputation by communicating a false statement of fact about them.
What it names
The umbrella term for reputation-damaging lies you can be sued over — reach for it when the specific spoken-or-written form doesn’t matter, only the harm to someone’s name.
Example
The restaurant sued for defamation after a competitor posted invented claims about rats in the kitchen.
Related idea
Defamation is the parent category with two children people constantly mix up: libel is the written or published form, slander the spoken one — a distinction that matters because libel is often treated as more damaging.