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View synonyms for

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: , ,

    Antonyms: , ,

  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

/ ɪˈԲɪə /

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
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Other Word Forms

  • ԴDzd·Ծa noun
  • d·Ծa adjective
  • d·Ծa noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of denial1

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

He said “this epidemic denial has become a feature in the mainstream media and it’s based on an industry canard” perpetrated by “people who don’t want us to look at environmental exposures.”

From

Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Québécois, a federal party based in Quebec, has accused the pair of being in a "denial situation about climate change".

From

Garcia called Comer’s denial “shameful” given the approvals for Republican members.

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Szamet said she believes State Farm’s delays and denials are part of a deliberate effort to wear people down until they stop seeking relief altogether.

From

Both of these characters are wrestling with real instances of denials of freedoms, and I want this play to invite us to see the ways that these different systems have impacted both of them.

From

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