Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

denier

1 American  
[dih-nahy-er] / dɪˈnaɪ ər /

noun

  1. a person who denies.

  2. a person who refuses to accept the existence, truth, or validity of something despite evidence or general support for it: It makes no sense for an environmental watchdog agency to hire a denier of climate change.

    The writer is a Holocaust denier.

    It makes no sense for an environmental watchdog agency to hire a denier of climate change.

    Election deniers continue to question the integrity of the ballot counts.


denier 2 American  
[duh-neer, den-yer, duh-nyey] / dəˈnɪər, ˈdɛn yər, dəˈnyeɪ /

noun

  1. a unit of weight indicating the fineness of fiber filaments and yarns, both silk and synthetic, and equal to a yarn weighing one gram per each 9,000 meters: used especially in indicating the fineness of women's hosiery.

  2. any of various coins issued in French-speaking regions, especially a coin of France, originally of silver but later of copper, introduced in the 8th century and continued until 1794.


denier 1 British  

noun

  1. a unit of weight used to measure the fineness of silk and man-made fibres, esp when woven into women's tights, etc. It is equal to 1 gram per 9000 metres

  2. any of several former European coins of various denominations

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

denier 2 British  
/ dɪˈnaɪə /

noun

  1. a person who denies

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

The words denier and denialism are used to describe people and positions that are opposed to the validity or veracity of an explanation or narrative put forth by an authority or expert. The words are commonly used in fixed compounds that truncate the name of the official account being called into question. Thus, a denier of climate change is often called a climate denier, and a movement that refuses to accept the integrity or official results of an election is referred to as election denialism. These expressions become fixed in their shortened form, and are often then associated with a specific counternarrative, rather than broadly applying to any and all denial associated with the modifying word (e.g., climate, election, evolution, genocide).

Etymology

Origin of denier1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; deny + -er 1 ( def. )

Origin of denier2

1375–1425; late Middle English < Old French < Latin dēnārius denarius

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.

Before Kardashian emerged as a moon landing denier, she spent six years completing a legal apprenticeship program in California, as she shared on Instagram.

From Salon • Nov. 6, 2025

Villanueva also claimed that Hunstman was a Holocaust denier without providing any evidence to support that claim, which Hunstman denied.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025

A heckler accused Mr Galloway of being a climate change denier, while a rival candidate threw orange confetti in his direction.

From BBC • Feb. 29, 2024

I realised I was no longer a climate denier.

From BBC • Nov. 23, 2023

Should one give a denier for thee, thou feelest all at once an easement in thy right hand; should another half denier be given, there are both thy hands out of the flame.

From The Legend of Ulenspiegel, Volume I (of 2) And Lamme Goedzak, and their Adventures Heroical, Joyous and Glorious in the Land of Flanders and Elsewhere by Coster, Charles Th?odore Henri de