I read the definition of "Gossip" today for the first time in my life. I am in my mid-60s. I was aware of the rumor and passing along false or unverified info of a personal nature aspect of this, but Merriam Websters also mentions that facts can be part of it too. I was not aware of the FACTS aspect of this. I thought gossip had to be false info being passed on. Rumors...

I have been in a situation for the last 6 months of my life where a person has been picking on me, teasing me, then getting mean to me and talking behind my back about me. He has also said to someone that he hates me. He refuses to make peace with me. He refuses to speak to me at all. He buts into my conversations with others, or waits until I am done speaking and then makes snide comments that somehow relate to what I am speaking about. Finally, 2 weeks ago, he attacked me verbally in high volume anger and I finally fought back (having always just silently taken it before this time). I matched his tone of voice, came back at him with equally nasty comebacks and so on. He looked like a deer in the headlights when I got done with him! He was not at all expecting that. He just figured I'd ignore him as usual.

I've been told that I should not pay attention to what anyone else has said about this person, however, I have heard the person pick on, tease and be mean to others also, calling them names and so on. It is hard not to believe what others have told me he has said about me or themselves, since I have witnessed so much negativity from him personally and seen and heard it dished out to others as well.

Anyway, at a certain point I started to fight back. I decided to tell others what this man has done to me. To my way of thinking, that is facts. However, now that I have read the definition of GOSSIP, I am wondering if my doing this, basically defending myself against his statements that he has made against me, as well as sharing with others what bad things he has done to me, (and how I finally fought back) would be considered as wrong, as backstabbing, or simply as self-defense?

Would my trying to set the record straight be considered gossip, in other words?