denial

noun

de·ni·al di-ˈnī(-ə)l

dē-

Synonyms of denial next

: refusal to satisfy a request or desire

the denial of privileges

a(1)

: refusal to admit the truth or reality of something (such as a statement or charge)

their denial of the divine right of kings

(2)

: assertion that an allegation is false

her denial that she was involved

: refusal to acknowledge a person or a thing : disavowal

his denial of his youngest son

law : the opposing by the defendant of an allegation (see allegation sense 2) of the opposite party in a lawsuit

their denial of the plaintiff's allegations

: self-denial

… a man in denial about his receding hairline.—

Playboy

logic : negation sense 1b

psychology : a defense mechanism in which confrontation with a personal problem or with reality is avoided by denying the existence of the problem or reality

Phrases

in denial

: refusing to admit the truth or reality of something unpleasant

a patient in denial about his health problems

Examples of denial in a Sentence

She issued a flat denial of the charges made against her. The accusations have met with angry denials from school officials. The city government has been heavily criticized for its denial of the seriousness of the situation. The hardest part of the punishment was the denial of his right to see his children. The group is protesting the denial of voting rights to convicted felons. The lawyers were disappointed by the court's denial of their motion to dismiss the case.

Recent Examples on the Web Executive Order 23-03 pledges that the state of Minnesota will not enforce other states’ judgements regarding denial of parental rights due to transgender status and will not comply with subpoenas from other states demanding information about transgender healthcare. —

Trans Formations Project, Them, 9 Aug. 2024 For eighteen days, Trump has refused to let go of his grief, alternating between anger and denial at the loss of his favorite target. —

Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2024 Despite Lindemann and Rammstein’s firm denials of wrongdoing, the allegations led to serious consequences. —

Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 7 Aug. 2024 For the most part, previous engagement rumors and denials have largely been attributed to anonymous sources. —

Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 4 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for denial

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'denial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

deny + -al entry 2

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of denial was in 1528

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Denial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denial. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

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Kids Definition

denial

noun

de·ni·al di-ˈnī(-ə)l

: a refusal to grant something asked for

: a refusal to admit the truth of a statement : contradiction

a flat denial of the charges

: a refusal to accept or believe in something

make a public denial of political beliefs once held

: a cutting down or limiting of a person's own desires or activity

denial of one's appetite

Medical Definition

denial

noun

de·ni·al di-ˈnī(-ə)l

: a psychological defense mechanism in which confrontation with a personal problem or with reality is avoided by denying the existence of the problem or reality

Legal Definition

denial

noun

de·ni·al di-ˈnī-əl

: refusal to grant or allow something

denial of due process

denial of a motion

: an assertion that an allegation is false

: a defense asserting that an opposing party's allegations are false compare affirmative defense at defense sense 2a, traverse

Note: Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, allegations that are not denied are taken as admitted, and a statement that a party has insufficient knowledge or information to form a belief as to the truth of an allegation is taken as a denial. A denial must sufficiently state which allegations or parts of allegations are being denied.

— argumentative denial \ ˌär-gyə-ˈmen-tə-tiv- \

: a denial that asserts facts inconsistent with an allegation made by an adverse party

— general denial

: a denial of all the allegations in a complaint

: a denial of all the allegations of a particular paragraph or group of paragraphs in a complaint

— specific denial

: general denial in this entry

: a denial of parts of an allegation in a complaint

Last Updated: 12 Aug 2024 - Updated example sentences

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denial

noun

Synonyms

Examples of denial in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near denial

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

Legal Definition