Standard Lemma guide

disavowal

noun · 2 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.

  • UK, US: [dɪsəˈvaʊ(ə)ɫ]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aʊəl

1

noun

Meaning 1

A denial of knowledge, relationship, or responsibility towards something or someone.

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

2

noun

Meaning 2

denial of any connection with or knowledge of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disclaimer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: denial

Narrower terms: retraction, abjuration, recantation

History

Etymology

From disavow + -al or dis- + avowal.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: отказване (otkazvane) — denial
  • Bulgarian: отричане (otričane) — denial
  • Czech: odmítnutí — denial
  • Czech: popření — denial
  • Dutch: verloochening — denial
  • Finnish: kieltäytyminen — denial
  • Finnish: kiistäminen — denial
  • Finnish: irtisanoutuminen — denial
  • French: désaveu — denial
  • French: reniement — denial
  • German: Verleugnung — denial
  • Polish: wyparcie się — denial
  • Portuguese: repúdio — denial
  • Portuguese: negação — denial
  • Romanian: negare — denial
  • Russian: отрица́ние (otricánije) — denial
  • Russian: отка́з (otkáz) — denial
  • Russian: отрече́ние (otrečénije) — denial
  • Serbo-Croatian: odricanje — denial
  • Serbo-Croatian: одрицање — denial
  • Serbo-Croatian: odricanje — denial