Standard Lemma guide

denial

noun · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /dɪˈnaɪ.əl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪəl
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 N AY1 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An assertion of untruth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The singer has issued a sweeping denial of all the rumors.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The negation in logic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, logic, mathematics, philosophy, sciences

Examples

  • The denial of "There might be X" is the null, "False, there is no X."

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A refusal or failure to provide or grant something that is requested or desired.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The denial of medical treatment to those who cannot afford to pay is scandalous.
  • I cannot understand the bank's denial of my loan application.
  • Every time we asked for an interview we got a denial.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nonassent, refusal, rejection, abnegation, declination, denial, turndown, disapproval, dissension, nonapproval, nonconsent, prohibition, renunciation, repudiation, unapproval, unconsent

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Refusal to believe that a problem exists.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • We couldn't break through his denial about being alcoholic.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Refusal to admit responsibility for wrongdoing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Negationism, denialism of historical facts or accepted interpretation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A defense mechanism involving a refusal to accept the truth of a phenomenon or prospect.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences

Examples

  • He is in denial that he has a drinking problem.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A disownment or disavowal

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The denial of Jesus by Peter.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

renunciation of your own interests in favor of the interests of others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abnegation, self-abnegation, self-denial, self-renunciation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: renunciation, forgoing, forswearing, selflessness, self-sacrifice

10

noun

Meaning 10

a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he gave evidence for the defense

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: defense, defence, demurrer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: due process, due process of law

Narrower terms: entrapment

11

noun

Meaning 11

the act of asserting that something alleged is not true

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disaffirmation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: assertion, averment, asseveration

Narrower terms: negation

12

noun

Meaning 12

the act of refusing to comply (as with a request)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it resulted in a complete denial of his privileges

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: speech act

Narrower terms: abnegation, naysaying, negative, refusal, disavowal, disclaimer

13

noun

Meaning 13

(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that denies painful thoughts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: defense mechanism, defense reaction, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense, defence

History

Etymology

From deny + -al.

Across languages

Translations

135 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: رَدّ (radd) — assertion of untruth
  • Armenian: հերքում (herkʻum) — assertion of untruth
  • Armenian: ժխտում (žxtum) — assertion of untruth
  • Belarusian: абвяржэ́нне (abvjaržénnje) — assertion of untruth
  • Catalan: desmentiment — assertion of untruth
  • Chinese Mandarin: 否認 /否认 (fǒurèn) — assertion of untruth
  • Finnish: kiistäminen — assertion of untruth
  • French: négation — assertion of untruth
  • German: Leugnung — assertion of untruth
  • German: Dementi — assertion of untruth
  • German: Bestreitung — assertion of untruth
  • German: Abstreitung — assertion of untruth
  • Ancient Greek: ἀπόφασις (apóphasis) — assertion of untruth
  • Hebrew: הכחשה (hakhkhasha) — assertion of untruth
  • Hindi: खंडन (khaṇḍan) — assertion of untruth
  • Icelandic: afneitun — assertion of untruth
  • Indonesian: penyangkalan — assertion of untruth
  • Japanese: 否認 (hinin) — assertion of untruth
  • Latin: negātiō — assertion of untruth
  • Lithuanian: neigimas — assertion of untruth
  • Lithuanian: paneigimas — assertion of untruth
  • Norwegian: benektelse — assertion of untruth
  • Old English: wiþersæc — assertion of untruth
  • Polish: zaprzeczenie — assertion of untruth
  • Portuguese: negação — assertion of untruth
  • Russian: опроверже́ние (oproveržénije) — assertion of untruth
  • Russian: отрица́ние (otricánije) — assertion of untruth
  • Spanish: negación — assertion of untruth
  • Spanish: negamiento — assertion of untruth
  • Turkish: inkâr — assertion of untruth
  • Ukrainian: спростува́ння (sprostuvánnja) — assertion of untruth
  • Volapük: noam — assertion of untruth
  • Arabic: نَفْي (nafy) — negation in logic
  • Armenian: ժխտում (žxtum) — negation in logic
  • Belarusian: адмаўле́нне (admawljénnje) — negation in logic
  • Bulgarian: отри́чане (otríčane) — negation in logic
  • Catalan: negació — negation in logic
  • Chechen: инкарло (inkarlo) — negation in logic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 否定 (fǒudìng) — negation in logic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 否認 /否认 (fǒurèn) — negation in logic
  • Esperanto: neo — negation in logic
  • Finnish: kiistäminen — negation in logic
  • Finnish: kiisto — negation in logic
  • French: négation — negation in logic
  • French: dénégation — negation in logic
  • Georgian: უარყოფა (uarq̇opa) — negation in logic
  • German: Verneinung — negation in logic
  • German: Negation — negation in logic
  • German: Negierung — negation in logic
  • Greek: άρνηση (árnisi) — negation in logic
  • Hebrew: שלילה (shlila) — negation in logic
  • Hindi: खंडन (khaṇḍan) — negation in logic
  • Hungarian: tagadás — negation in logic
  • Italian: negazione — negation in logic
  • Japanese: 否定 (hitei) — negation in logic
  • Japanese: 打ち消し (uchikeshi) — negation in logic
  • Japanese: 否認 (hinin) — negation in logic
  • Korean: 부정 (bujeong) — negation in logic
  • Korean: 부인 (bu'in) — negation in logic
  • Norwegian: negasjon — negation in logic
  • Polish: zaprzeczenie — negation in logic
  • Portuguese: negação — negation in logic
  • Russian: отрица́ние (otricánije) — negation in logic
  • Spanish: negación — negation in logic
  • Spanish: negamiento — negation in logic
  • Turkish: değilleme — negation in logic
  • Ukrainian: запере́чення (zaperéčennja) — negation in logic
  • Arabic: إِنْكَار (ʔinkār) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Arabic: رَفْض (rafḍ) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Arabic: إِبَاء (ʔibāʔ) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Armenian: մերժում (meržum) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Azerbaijani: imtina — refusal to comply with a request
  • Azerbaijani: atkaz — refusal to comply with a request
  • Belarusian: адмо́ва (admóva) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Bulgarian: о́тказ (ótkaz) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Catalan: negació — refusal to comply with a request
  • Chinese Mandarin: 拒絕 /拒绝 (jùjué) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Chinese Mandarin: 抵賴 /抵赖 (dǐlài) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Czech: odmítnutí — refusal to comply with a request
  • Dutch: weigering — refusal to comply with a request
  • Esperanto: neo — refusal to comply with a request
  • Finnish: torjuminen — refusal to comply with a request
  • Finnish: kieltävä vastaus — refusal to comply with a request
  • French: refus — refusal to comply with a request
  • Georgian: უარყოფა (uarq̇opa) — refusal to comply with a request
  • German: Verweigerung — refusal to comply with a request
  • German: Zurückweisung — refusal to comply with a request
  • German: Absage — refusal to comply with a request
  • Hungarian: elutasítás — refusal to comply with a request
  • Hungarian: megtagadás — refusal to comply with a request
  • Indonesian: penolakan — refusal to comply with a request
  • Irish: éaradh — refusal to comply with a request
  • Italian: rifiuto — refusal to comply with a request
  • Japanese: 拒絶 (kyozetsu) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Japanese: 拒否 (kyohi) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Korean: 거절 (geojeol) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Korean: 거부 (geobu) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Latin: infitiae — refusal to comply with a request
  • Lithuanian: atsisakymas — refusal to comply with a request
  • Māori: aukatinga — refusal to comply with a request
  • Norwegian: nekting m or f nekt — refusal to comply with a request
  • Old English: wiþersæc — refusal to comply with a request
  • Polish: odmowa — refusal to comply with a request
  • Portuguese: negação — refusal to comply with a request
  • Russian: отка́з (otkáz) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Scottish Gaelic: àicheadh — refusal to comply with a request
  • Scottish Gaelic: diùltadh — refusal to comply with a request
  • Slovak: odmietnutie — refusal to comply with a request
  • Spanish: denegación — refusal to comply with a request
  • Ukrainian: відмо́ва (vidmóva) — refusal to comply with a request
  • Finnish: kiistäminen — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Finnish: torjuminen — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • French: déni — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • French: rejet — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • German: Leugnen — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • German: Abstreiten — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • German: Nichtwahrhabenwollen — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • German: Verleugnung — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Hebrew: הכחשה (hakhkhasha) — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Icelandic: afneitun — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Indonesian: penyangkalan — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Lithuanian: neigimas — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Malay: penafian — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Norwegian: fornektelse — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Portuguese: negação — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Romanian: negare — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Scottish Gaelic: àicheadh — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Slovak: popieranie — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Slovak: poprenie — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Slovak: popieračstvo — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Spanish: negación — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Spanish: fase negante — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Swedish: förnekelse — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Yiddish: אָפּלייקענונג (opleykenung) — refusal to believe a problem exists
  • Yiddish: פֿאַרלייקענונג (farleykenung) — refusal to believe a problem exists
Real reading context

denial in complete knowledge articles