denial

[dih-nahy-uhl] / dɪˈnaɪ əl /

NOUN

dismissal, refusal of belief in

Synonyms

STRONGEST

disapproval rebuttal rejection repudiation retraction veto

STRONG

adjuration brush-off contradiction declination disavowal disclaimer disproof dissent forswearing nay negation negative nix nonacceptance prohibition protestation rebuff refutal refutation renouncement renunciation repulse turndown

WEAK

abstaining cold shoulder controversion disallowance dismissing gainsaying noncommittal refraining refusing rejecting renegement repudiating statement abnegation

Antonyms

STRONGEST

allowance approval confirmation ratification sanction

STRONG

agreement permission

WEAK

affirmation avowal claim corroboration vouching

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Rights groups also weighed in, describing the denial of access as "alarming" for media freedom in Turkey.

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

Only after the report came out and sparked a frenzy was there a firm denial:

From Slate • Jun. 23, 2026

California Transportation Commission officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the denial of the extension, which was reported earlier by LAist.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026

For these companies, denial rates hovered around 13% for nursing-home care, but they were far higher for patients trying to get into the other types of facilities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Mom said they did it because they were in denial, that they still felt so guilty about sending you away they needed to ignore what happened to you.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy

Vocabulary lists containing denial

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

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Game Changer

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