denial

[dih-nahy-uhl]

noun

1. an assertion that something said, believed, alleged, etc., is false.

   Despite his denials, we knew he had taken the purse. The politician issued a denial of his opponent's charges.

   Synonyms: repudiation, disclaimer, disavowal
   Antonyms: confession, acknowledgment, admission

2. refusal to believe a doctrine, theory, or the like.

3. disbelief in the existence or reality of a thing.

4. the refusal to satisfy a claim, request, desire, etc., or the refusal of a person making it.

5. refusal to recognize or acknowledge; a disowning or disavowal.

   the traitor's denial of his country; Peter's denial of Christ.

6. Law.,  refusal to acknowledge the validity of a claim, suit, or the like; a plea that denies allegations of fact in an adversary's plea.

   Although she sued for libel, he entered a general denial.

7. sacrifice of one's own wants or needs; self-denial.

8. Psychology.,  an unconscious defense mechanism used to reduce anxiety by denying thoughts, feelings, or facts that are consciously intolerable.

denial

/ dɪˈnaɪəl /

noun

1. a refusal to agree or comply with a statement; contradiction

2. the rejection of the truth of a proposition, doctrine, etc

   a denial of God's existence

3. a negative reply; rejection of a request

4. a refusal to acknowledge; renunciation; disavowal

   a denial of one's leader

5. a psychological process by which painful truths are not admitted into an individual's consciousness See also defence mechanism

6. abstinence; self-denial

Other Word Forms

• nondenial noun
• predenial adjective
• redenial noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of denial¹

First recorded in 1520–30; deny + -al ²

Example Sentences

"We see exclusion and denial of the rights of the Syrian people, such as elections. Therefore, the Syrian interim government does not represent the will of the Syrian people," she told Reuters news agency.

From BBC

In June, a Superior Court judge issued a landmark decision declaring the plan’s smoke damage policy violated state law, though it has since changed the legal justification of its denials.

From Los Angeles Times

They are first denial like, “Did I really f— that up?”

From Los Angeles Times

It’s one of my favorite parts of our story because it shows there’s a man in denial, right?

From Los Angeles Times

The lawsuit alleges that the denials violated California’s Emergency Services Law, which requires hospitals operating a licensed emergency room to treat patients suffering from emergency medical conditions, including previable PPROM.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• disapproval 
• rebuttal 
• rejection 
• repudiation 
• retraction 
• veto