deniability

[dih-nahy-uh-bil-uh-tee]

noun

1. the ability to deny something, as knowledge of or connection with an illegal activity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of deniability¹

First recorded in 1970–75; deniable + -ity

Example Sentences

Green councillor Sam Jones raised wider concerns about flags and said it had "become plausible deniability to say, 'I'm a patriot', when actually what you're trying to do is intimidate people".

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Although the president was not expressly prohibited from accessing returns, this arrangement was structured to give Nixon plausible deniability.

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“The ‘clanker’ meme is really weird and feels like an excuse for white people to almost say slurs with plausible deniability,” one user wrote.

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Or was it the plausible deniability?

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The use of criminal proxies offers "arms-length deniability," according to Ms Evans, who blames the rising threat on the "continued erosion of the rule-based international order".

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