declinatory
Americanadjective
Usage
What does declinatory mean? Declinatory means expressing refusal. It can be used to describe a statement made by someone who has declined something—refused it or turned it down. The related noun declination can mean a polite refusal, especially in a formal or official situation. Neither declinatory or this sense of declination are commonly used. Example: I’m sorry to say that his response was declinatory—he politely declined to participate.
Etymology
Origin of declinatory
1665–75; < Medieval Latin dēclīnātōrius, equivalent to Latin dēclīnā ( re ) ( see decline) + -tōrius -tory 1
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