noun
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the act or an instance of refusing
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the opportunity to reject or accept; option
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of refusal
First recorded in 1425–75, refusal is from the late Middle English word refusell. See refuse 1, -al 2
Explanation
A refusal is when you absolutely won't do something. A little kid's refusal to eat his broccoli might result in his mother's refusal to take him out for ice cream after dinner. When something is refused, or a person refuses to do something, it's a refusal. There's a stubborn quality to the word refusal, like a defiant child who won't be swayed. There is a legal term called the "right of first refusal," which gives a person an opportunity to buy or do something first, before anyone else has a chance, or to refuse the opportunity. The Latin root word is refundere, "pour back or give back."
Vocabulary lists containing refusal
"The First Day of School," Vocabulary from the short story
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Catching Fire
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poems about parents
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The law requires the Parole Board to take a killer's refusal to disclose where their victim's body is into consideration.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Alberto Carvalho, the school board accused its heralded leader of unprofessional conduct, unsatisfactory performance and “violation of or refusal to obey” state laws or school district regulations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
The law went into effect last month despite President Trump’s refusal to sign it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
This followed the senator’s continued refusal to say much about what happened besides that he fell down and was “briefly unconscious.”
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026
The slight had been a way of punishing her for her militancy and her refusal to adhere to the more moderate approach of the National American Woman Suffrage Association.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Since October, almost 80 million entries and exits have been registered, with 35,000 refusals of entry recorded.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
While asylum claims in Britain reached a record high, the number of refusals surged, and approvals at the initial stage climbed slightly in 2025 compared to 2024.
From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026
She also charts instances of plots, poisonings and refusals to work, actions that caused significant upheaval.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
Padilla’s silencing and removal follow refusals to admit four U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2025
Ed Plum had stopped calling after ten refusals.
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
