noun

denial

denial, refusal, rejection

His denial of the crime was not convincing.

His denial of the crime was not convincing.

She is in denial about her illness.

She is in denial about her illness.

denial of (sth.) a statement that (sth.) is not true His denial of the crime was not convincing.

in denial refusing to accept that (sth.) unpleasant is true She is in denial about her illness.

Synonyms: refusal, rejection, contradiction; Antonyms: admission, acceptance, confession

From the verb 'deny', which comes from Latin 'denegare' (to refuse, to say no).

Remember the common joke: 'Denial is not just a river in Egypt.' This helps recall its psychological meaning of refusing to accept a difficult truth.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.