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denial

 - 6 dictionary results

de⋅ni⋅al

  [di-nahy-uhl]
Use denial in a Sentence
–noun
1. an assertion that something said, believed, alleged, etc., is false: Despite his denials, we knew he had taken the purse. The politician issued a denial of his opponent's charges.
2. refusal to believe a doctrine, theory, or the like.
3. disbelief in the existence or reality of a thing.
4. the refusal to satisfy a claim, request, desire, etc., or the refusal of a person making it.
5. refusal to recognize or acknowledge; a disowning or disavowal: the traitor's denial of his country; Peter's denial of Christ.
6. Law. refusal to acknowledge the validity of a claim, suit, or the like; a plea that denies allegations of fact in an adversary's plea: Although she sued for libel, he entered a general denial.
7. sacrifice of one's own wants or needs; self-denial.
8. Psychology. an unconscious defense mechanism used to reduce anxiety by denying thoughts, feelings, or facts that are consciously intolerable.
Origin:
1520–30; deny + -al 2

Synonyms:
1. disavowal, disclaimer, repudiation.

Antonyms:
1. admission, acknowledgment, confession.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To denial
de·ni·al   (dĭ-nī'əl)   
n.  

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

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

    2. Law The opposing by a defendant of an allegation of the plaintiff.

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

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

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

    2. 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.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

denial 
1528, see deny. Meaning "unconscious suppression of painful or embarrassing feelings" first attested 1914 in A.A. Brill's translation of Freud's "Psychopathology of Everyday Life"; popularized 1980s in phrase in denial.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: de·ni·al
Pronunciation: di-'nI-&l
Function: noun
1 : refusal to grant or allow something <denial of due process> <denial of a motion>
2 a : an assertion that an allegation is false b : a defense asserting that an opposing party's allegations are false —compare affirmative defense at DEFENSE 2a,, TRAVERSE
NOTE: Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, allegations that are not denied are taken as admitted, and a statement that a party has insufficient knowledge or information to form a belief as to the truth of an allegation is taken as a denial. A denial must sufficiently state which allegations or parts of allegations are being denied.
ar·gu·men·ta·tive denial
/"är-gy&-'men-t&-tiv-/
: a denial that asserts facts inconsistent with an allegation made by an adverse party
general denial
1 : a denial of all the allegations in a complaint
2 : a denial of all the allegations of a particular paragraph or group of paragraphs in a complaint
specific denial
1 : GENERAL DENIAL 2 in this entry
2 : a denial of parts of an allegation in a complaint
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: de·ni·al
Pronunciation: di-'nI(-&)l
Function: noun
: a psychological defense mechanism in which confrontation with a personalproblem or with reality is avoided by denying the existence of the problem or reality
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

denial de·ni·al (dĭ-nī'əl)
n.
An unconscious defense mechanism characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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