denial
Pluraldenials (some meanings)
- 1A refusal to believe that a problem is real or is happening.
Like covering your eyes and saying a mess on the floor isn't there.
He was in denial about how much money he had lost.
Her denial that anything was wrong worried her closest friends.
Oppositeacceptance, acknowledgment, recognition
Note
- 2A statement saying that something is not true.
Like saying "I didn't do it" when someone blames you.
The mayor issued a quick denial after the story came out.
Her denial sounded rehearsed, but everyone wanted to believe it.
Similarrefutation, rebuttal, contradiction, repudiation, disavowal
Oppositeadmission, confession, confirmation, acknowledgment
- 3A refusal to give or allow something that someone asks for.
Like asking for a cookie and being told no.
The denial of his loan left him without any options.
We were surprised by the denial of such a simple request.
Similarrefusal, rejection, withholding
Oppositeapproval, acceptance, granting
- 4A way the mind protects itself by refusing to accept a painful truth.
Like a child covering their ears so they don't have to hear bad news.
After the diagnosis, she slipped into denial and acted as if nothing had changed.
His denial helped him cope at first, but it delayed his treatment.
Oppositeacceptance
Note
- 5A refusal to admit that you did something wrong.
Like a kid saying "It wasn't me" with crumbs still on their face.
His flat denial of any wrongdoing angered the victims.
Even with proof in hand, she met every question with denial.
Similardisavowal, repudiation, disclaimer
Oppositeadmission, confession, acknowledgment
- 6An act of saying that you have no connection to someone or something.
Like pretending you don't know a friend when other people are watching.
Peter's denial of his friend haunted him for the rest of his life.
Her public denial of her old beliefs shocked the whole group.
Similarrepudiation, disavowal, renunciation, rejection
Oppositeacknowledgment, embrace
- 7A refusal to accept well-known historical facts or the accepted account of them.
Like insisting a famous event never happened, even with photos and records of it.
Holocaust denial is treated as a crime in several countries.
The professor spent her career documenting denial of well-established historical atrocities.
Note
- 8In logic, a statement that says another statement is not true.
Like flipping a switch from "true" to "false".
In her proof, the denial of the first claim led straight to a contradiction.
Logic students learn how the denial of a true statement works.
Similarnegation
Oppositeaffirmation
Note
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of denial apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
It comes from the verb 'deny' plus the ending '-al'.