Denial Definition & Meaning

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    • Synonyms denial American [dih-nahy-uhl] / dɪˈnaɪ əl /

    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 British / 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

    "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

    Other Word Forms

    • nondenial noun
    • predenial adjective
    • redenial noun

    Etymology

    Origin of denial

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

    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.

    While the sergeant later denied he made the confession, the commission found his denial to be full of inconsistencies.

    From BBC

    Systems are trained to provide confident denials rather than acknowledge genuine uncertainty.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    He pleaded not guilty to those charges in May, doubling down on his initial denials on social media.

    From Los Angeles Times

    The denial of his first Special Immigrant Visa application soon followed.

    From Los Angeles Times

    Asked whether they've yet succumbed to the lure of artificial intelligence, Ms Harris responds with a firm denial.

    From BBC

    Related Words

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

    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.

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