denial

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de·ni·al

(dĭ-nī′əl)

1. A refusal to comply with or satisfy a request.

a. A refusal to grant the truth of a statement or allegation; a contradiction.

b. Law The formal challenge by a defendant of the truth of an allegation made by the plaintiff.

a. A refusal to accept or believe something, such as a doctrine or belief.

b. Psychology An unconscious defense mechanism characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings.

4. The act of disowning or disavowing; repudiation.

5. Abstinence; self-denial.

[From deny.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

denial

(dɪˈnaɪəl)

1. a refusal to agree or comply with a statement; contradiction

2. (Philosophy) 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. (Psychology) 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 and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

de•ni•al

(dɪˈnaɪ əl)

n.

1. an assertion that an allegation is false.

2. refusal to believe a doctrine.

3. disbelief in the existence or reality of a thing.

4. the refusal to satisfy a claim, request, etc., or the refusal of a person making it.

5. refusal to recognize or acknowledge: Peter's denial of Christ.

6. Law. a plea that denies the alleged facts of an adversary's plea.

7. self-denial.

8. Psychol. the reduction of anxiety by the unconscious exclusion from the mind of intolerable thoughts, feelings, or facts: who are alcoholics in denial.

[1520–30]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	denial - the act of refusing to comply (as with a request); "it resulted in a complete denial of his privileges" speech act - the use of language to perform some act abnegation - the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief; "abnegation of the Holy Trinity" naysaying - the act of saying no to a request negative - a reply of denial; "he answered in the negative" refusal - the act of refusing disavowal, disclaimer - denial of any connection with or knowledge of
	2.	denial - the act of asserting that something alleged is not true disaffirmation assertion, asseveration, averment - a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary) negation - the speech act of negating
	3.	denial - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that denies painful thoughts psychiatry, psychological medicine, psychopathology - the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders defence, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense mechanism, defense reaction, defense - (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
	4.	denial - renunciation of your own interests in favor of the interests of others self-abnegation, self-renunciation, abnegation, self-denial forgoing, forswearing, renunciation - the act of renouncing; sacrificing or giving up or surrendering (a possession or right or title or privilege etc.) self-sacrifice, selflessness - acting with less concern for yourself than for the success of the joint activity
	5.	denial - a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him; "he gave evidence for the defense" demurrer, defence, defense due process, due process of law - (law) the administration of justice according to established rules and principles; based on the principle that a person cannot be deprived of life or liberty or property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards trial - (law) the determination of a person's innocence or guilt by due process of law; "he had a fair trial and the jury found him guilty"; "most of these complaints are settled before they go to trial" entrapment - a defense that claims the defendant would not have broken the law if not tricked into doing it by law enforcement officials law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"

denial

noun

1. negation, dismissal, contradiction, dissent, disclaimer, retraction, repudiation, disavowal, adjuration their previous denial that chemical weapons were being used
negation admission, declaration, profession, revelation, disclosure, confession, affirmation, acknowledgment, avowal, divulgence

2. refusal, veto, rejection, prohibition, rebuff, repulse the denial of visas to international workers

3. renunciation, giving up, rejection, spurning, abstention, abdication, repudiation, forswearing, disavowal, abnegation, relinquishment, eschewal This religion teaches denial of the flesh.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

denial

noun

1. A turning down of a request:

disallowance, refusal, rejection, turndown.

2. A refusal to grant the truth of a statement or charge:

contradiction, disaffirmance, disaffirmation, disclaimer, negation, rejection.

Law: traversal.

Translations

إنْكاررَفْض

odmítnutípopření

afvisningbenægtelsedementi

Ablehnung Leugnen

άρνηση

denegación desmentido negación negativa rechazo

dénégation refus abjuration abnégation

tagadás

höfnunneitun

smentita

avslag benektelse fornektelse

poprenie

zanikanje

inkârkabul etmemeredyalanlama

否认某事拒绝接受

denial

[dɪˈnaɪəl] N

1. [of accusation, guilt] → negación f
he shook his head in denial → negó con la cabeza
he met the accusation with a flat denial → negó or desmintió rotundamente la acusación
the government issued an official denial → el gobierno lo desmintió oficialmente, el gobierno emitió un desmentido oficial

2. (= refusal) [of request] → denegación f; (= rejection) → rechazo m; [of report, statement] → desmentido m, mentís m inv
a denial of justice → una denegación de justicia

3. (= self-denial) → abnegación f
to be in denial about sth → no querer reconocer algo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

denial

[dɪˈnaɪəl] n

[accusation] → démenti m

(PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY) [reality, truth] → dénégation f
to be in denial → être dans le déni

(= refusal to grant) [rights, liberties] → dénégation f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

denial

(of accusation, guilt) → Leugnen nt; denial of (the existence of) God → Gottesleugnung f; the government issued an official denial → die Regierung gab ein offizielles Dementi heraus; to be in denial about something → etw abstreiten; to be in denial (Psych) → sich der Realität verschließen

(= refusal, of request etc) → Ablehnung f, → abschlägige Antwort; (official) → abschlägiger Bescheid; (of rights) → Verweigerung f

(= disowning) → Verleugnung f; Peter’s denial of Christ → die Verleugnung des Petrus

(= self-denial) → Selbstverleugnung f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

denial

[dɪˈnaɪ/əl] n

a. (of accusation, guilt) → diniego, rifiuto
the government issued an official denial → il governo ha rilasciato una smentita ufficiale

b. (refusal, of request) → rifiuto; (of rights) → mancato riconoscimento

deny

(diˈnai) verb

1. to declare not to be true. He denied the charge of theft.

2. to refuse (to give or grant someone something); to say `no' to. He was denied admission to the house.

deˈnial noun

1. (an act of) declaring that something is not true. Do you accept her denial?

2. (an act of) refusing someone something. a denial of his request.

denial

n negación f, rechazo

References in classic literature ?

The denial only seemed to make the thing worse for Tom.

View in context

That which is affirmed or denied is not itself affirmation or denial. By 'affirmation' we mean an affirmative proposition, by 'denial' a negative.

View in context

I see denial in your looks,' he cried, abruptly pointing in his face, and stepping back, 'and denial is a lie!'

View in context

This explanation is made, not with any pride of priority in trifles, but in simple denial of possible charges of plagiarism, which is no trifle.

View in context

The reparation of a denial, is sometimes equal to the first grant; if a man show himself neither dejected nor discontented.

View in context

"Your denial is useless in the light of his confession," asserted Professor Bumper.

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She looked, indeed, like one of those wonderful boys of the Italian Renaissance, whom you may still see at the National Gallery, whose beauty is no denial, but rather the stamp of their slender, supple strength, young painters and sculptors who held the palette for Leonardo, or wielded the chisel for Michelangelo, and anon threw both aside to take up sword for Guelf or Ghibelline in the narrow streets of Florence.

View in context

The patriarch who saw him at the work charged him with it, and upon his denial, showed him the end of the cord hanging from under the saddle of one of his camels.

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"A future life?" Prince Andrew repeated, but Pierre, giving him no time to reply, took the repetition for a denial, the more readily as he knew Prince Andrew's former atheistic convictions.

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But the advantage which this united force hath in persuasion or entreaty must have been visible to a curious observer; for he must have often seen, that when a father, a master, a wife, or any other person in authority, have stoutly adhered to a denial against all the reasons which a single man could produce, they have afterwards yielded to the repetition of the same sentiments by a second or third person, who hath undertaken the cause, without attempting to advance anything new in its behalf.

View in context

She would not take a denial. She would not let Jane say, `No;' for when Jane first heard of it, (it was the day before yesterday, the very morning we were at Donwell,) when Jane first heard of it, she was quite decided against accepting the offer, and for the reasons you mention; exactly as you say, she had made up her mind to close with nothing till Colonel Campbell's return, and nothing should induce her to enter into any engagement at presentand so she told Mrs.

View in context

Yet sweet Nancy might have been expected to feel still more keenly the denial of a blessing to which she had looked forward with all the varied expectations and preparations, solemn and prettily trivial, which fill the mind of a loving woman when she expects to become a mother.