denial
noun
de·ni·al
di-ˈnī(-ə)l 
dē-
1
: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
the denial of privileges
2
a(1)
: refusal to admit the truth or reality of something (such as a statement or charge)
their denial of the divine right of kings
(2)
: assertion that an allegation is false
her denial that she was involved
b
: refusal to acknowledge a person or a thing : disavowal
his denial of his youngest son
3
law
: the opposing by the defendant of an allegation (see allegation sense 2) of the opposite party in a lawsuit
their denial of the plaintiff's allegations
4
: self-denial
… a man in denial about his receding hairline.—
Playboy
Playboy5
logic
: negation sense 1b
6
psychology
: a defense mechanism in which confrontation with a personal problem or with reality is avoided by denying the existence of the problem or reality
Synonyms
Examples of denial in a Sentence
She issued a flat denial of the charges made against her.
The accusations have met with angry denials from school officials.
The city government has been heavily criticized for its denial of the seriousness of the situation.
The hardest part of the punishment was the denial of his right to see his children.
The group is protesting the denial of voting rights to convicted felons.
The lawyers were disappointed by the court's denial of their motion to dismiss the case.
Recent Examples on the Web
The rise in New Yorkers fighting health insurance denials underscored growing anger and frustration nationally with the industry.
—David Robinson, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
The latest: California has already prohibited the use of AI for coverage denials, and Bloomberg Law reported that lawmakers in Georgia, New York and Pennsylvania are vowing to bring up the issue this year.
—Arika Herron, Axios, 5 Feb. 2025
Both companies have red flags for customer service: Choice has faced customer complaints about claim denials and its limited options for service fees, while AFC has been criticized for problems with getting through to customer service agents and with submitting claims.
—Brian Sloan, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025
Several attorneys whose clients have been transferred noted that many of the courts where detainees from Otay Mesa have gone have higher asylum denial rates than the San Diego facility.
—Kate Morrissey, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for denial 
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David Robinson, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
The latest: California has already prohibited the use of AI for coverage denials, and Bloomberg Law reported that lawmakers in Georgia, New York and Pennsylvania are vowing to bring up the issue this year.
—Arika Herron, Axios, 5 Feb. 2025
Both companies have red flags for customer service: Choice has faced customer complaints about claim denials and its limited options for service fees, while AFC has been criticized for problems with getting through to customer service agents and with submitting claims.
—Brian Sloan, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025
Several attorneys whose clients have been transferred noted that many of the courts where detainees from Otay Mesa have gone have higher asylum denial rates than the San Diego facility.
—Kate Morrissey, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for denial
Articles Related to denial
Dictionary Entries Near denial
Cite this Entry
“Denial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denial. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
denial
noun
de·ni·al
di-ˈnī(-ə)l
1
: a refusal to grant something asked for
2
: a refusal to admit the truth of a statement : contradiction
a flat denial of the charges
3
: a refusal to accept or believe in something
make a public denial of political beliefs once held
4
: a cutting down or limiting of a person's own desires or activity
denial of one's appetite
Medical Definition
denial
noun
de·ni·al
di-ˈnī(-ə)l
: a psychological defense mechanism in which confrontation with a personal problem or with reality is avoided by denying the existence of the problem or reality
Legal Definition
denial
noun
de·ni·al
di-ˈnī-əl
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 sense 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.
—
argumentative denial
\
ˌär-gyə-ˈmen-tə-tiv-
\
: a denial that asserts facts inconsistent with an allegation made by an adverse party
—
general denial
: a denial of all the allegations in a complaint
: a denial of all the allegations of a particular paragraph or group of paragraphs in a complaint
—
specific denial
: general denial in this entry
: a denial of parts of an allegation in a complaint
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