noun
-
the act or an instance of refusing
-
the opportunity to reject or accept; option
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
Many are in limbo, caught between Indian pressure to leave and Bangladesh's refusal to accept them without formal proof of citizenship.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
The club’s refusal to advance her, in McArthur’s view, was plain retaliation.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
The restrictions were later widened to prevent him carrying out any clinical practice over concerns about his refusal to fully engage with retraining measures.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
His frustration with appears to have stemmed from her refusal to condemn the outgoing director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, during a congressional hearing in March.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
But Boukreev’s refusal or inability to play the role of a conventional guide in the Western tradition exasperated Fischer.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
