denial

English · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

denial

  • /dɪˈnaɪ.əl/ US, UK

Rhymes with -aɪəl

noun denials

  1. countable, uncountable An assertion of untruth. The singer has issued a sweeping denial of all the rumors.
  2. countable, uncountable The negation in logic. The denial of "There might be X" is the null, "False, there is no X."
  3. countable, uncountable A refusal or failure to provide or grant something that is requested or desired. The denial of medical treatment to those who cannot afford to pay is scandalous.

    Similar: nonassent, refusal, rejection, abnegation, declination, denial, turndown, disapproval, dissension, nonapproval, nonconsent, prohibition

  4. countable, uncountable Refusal to believe that a problem exists. We couldn't break through his denial about being alcoholic.
  5. countable, uncountable Refusal to admit responsibility for wrongdoing. Denial is the first act when the perpetrator refutes the very nature of the planned measures, explaining the steps as justified and legitimate actions to cope with the identified problem. The denial then lives on during the different stages of the genocide and is invoked continuously by the perpetra
  6. countable, uncountable Negationism, denialism of historical facts or accepted interpretation. The sheer length of the list demonstrates the hold denial wields over states and societies, a power that may be best understood empirically by delving further into the two best-documented cases of Holocaust and Armenian [genocide] denial.
  7. countable, uncountable A defense mechanism involving a refusal to accept the truth of a phenomenon or prospect. He is in denial that he has a drinking problem.
  8. countable, uncountable A disownment or disavowal The denial of Jesus by Peter.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: abnegation, self-renunciation, self-denial, self-abnegation, defence, defense, demurrer, denying, deniability, negation, deny, disallowance, refusal, disavowal, repudiation, reject

Translations

Every language

noun assertion of untruth

Españolnegación, negamiento
日本語否認 hinin
中文否認 /否认 fǒurèn
हिन्दीखंडन khaṇḍan
Portuguêsnegação
Françaisnégation
DeutschLeugnung, Dementi, Bestreitung, Abstreitung
Русскийопроверже́ние oproveržénije, отрица́ние otricánije
العربيةرَدّ radd
עבריתהכחשה hakhkhasha

noun negation in logic

Españolnegación, negamiento
한국어부정 bujeong, 부인 bu'in
日本語否定 hitei, 打ち消し uchikeshi, 否認 hinin
中文否定 fǒudìng, 否認 /否认 fǒurèn
हिन्दीखंडन khaṇḍan
Portuguêsnegação
Françaisnégation, dénégation
DeutschVerneinung, Negation, Negierung
Italianonegazione
Ελληνικάάρνηση árnisi
Русскийотрица́ние otricánije
العربيةنَفْي nafy
עבריתשלילה shlila

noun refusal to comply with a request

Españoldenegación
한국어거절 geojeol, 거부 geobu
日本語拒絶 kyozetsu, 拒否 kyohi
中文拒絕 /拒绝 jùjué, 抵賴 /抵赖 dǐlài
Portuguêsnegação
Françaisrefus
DeutschVerweigerung, Zurückweisung, Absage
Italianorifiuto
Русскийотка́з otkáz
العربيةإِنْكَار ʔinkār, رَفْض rafḍ, إِبَاء ʔibāʔ

noun refusal to believe a problem exists

Españolnegación, fase negante
Portuguêsnegação
Françaisdéni, rejet
DeutschLeugnen, Abstreiten, Nichtwahrhabenwollen, Verleugnung
Românănegare
עבריתהכחשה hakhkhasha

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"denial." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/denial. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

denial. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/denial

Chicago

"denial." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/denial.

BibTeX
@misc{denial_2026,
  title = {denial},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/denial},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}