denial

English

Wikipedia Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: [dɪˈnaɪ(j)əɫ]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪəl

Noun

denial (plural denials)

1. The negation in logic

   The denial of "There might be X" is the null, "False, there is no X."

2. A refusal to comply with a request.

   Every time we asked for an interview we got a denial.

3. An assertion of untruth

   The singer has issued a sweeping denial of all the rumors.

4. Refusal to believe a problem exists

   We couldn't break through his denial about being alcoholic.

   • (Can we date this quote?)

     Suzanne Fields wrote: "Denial" came out of the therapyspeak prevalent in the middle of the 20th century, especially as it was applied to confronting the reality of mortality. It was popularized as the first stage of grief, and quickly expanded to include refusal to confront any bad news or disturbing ideas. [1]

5. (formerly, psychology) A defense mechanism involving a refusal to accept the truth of a phenomenon or prospect.

   He is in denial that he has a drinking problem.

Related terms

• deny
• in denial
• denier

Translations

negation in logic

• Arabic: إنكار (ar) ('inkaar) m, رفض (ar) (rafD) m
• Bulgarian: отричане (bg) (otričane) n
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 否定 (cmn) (fǒudìng), 否認 (cmn), 否认 (cmn) (fǒurèn)

• French: négation (fr) f, dénégation (fr) f
• German: Verneinung (de) f, Negation (de) f, Negierung (de) f

• Hebrew: שלילה (he) (shlila) f
• Hungarian: tagadás (hu)
• Italian: negazione (it) f
• Japanese: 否定 (ja) (ひてい, hitei), 打ち消し (ja) (うちけし, uchikeshi), 否認 (ja) (ひにん, hinin)
• Norwegian: negasjon (no) m
• Russian: отрицание (ru) (otricánije) n
• Spanish: negación (es) f

refusal to comply with a request

• Arabic: إنكار (ar) ('inkaar) m, رفض (ar) (rafD) m, إباء (ar) ('ibaa') m
• Bulgarian: отказ (bg) (otkaz) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 拒絕 (cmn), 拒绝 (cmn) (jùjué), 抵賴 (cmn), 抵赖 (cmn) (dǐlài)

• Finnish: torjuminen (fi), kieltävä vastaus (fi)
• French: refus (fr) m

• German: Verweigerung (de) f
• Italian: rifiuto (it) m
• Japanese: 拒絶 (ja) (きょぜつ, kyozetsu), 拒否 (ja) (きょひ, kyohi)
• Lithuanian: atsisakymas (lt)
• Norwegian: nekting (no) m and f nekt (no) m
• Russian: отказ (ru) (otkáz) m
• Scottish Gaelic: àicheadh (gd) m, diùltadh (gd) m

assertion of untruth

• Arabic: رد (ar) (radd) m
• Catalan: desmentiment (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 否認 (cmn), 否认 (cmn) (fǒurèn)

• French: négation (fr) f
• German: Leugnung (de) f, Dementi (de) n

• Hebrew: הכחשה (he) (hakhkhasha) f
• Japanese: 否認 (ja) (ひにん, hinin)
• Lithuanian: neigimas (lt), paneigimas (lt)
• Norwegian: benektelse (no) m
• Russian: опровержение (ru) (oproveržénije) n, отрицание (ru) (otricánije) n
• Volapük: noam (vo)

refusal to believe a problem exists

• Finnish: kiistäminen (fi), torjuminen (fi)
• French: déni (fr) m
• Hebrew: הכחשה (he) (hakhkhasha) f

• Lithuanian: neigimas (lt)
• Norwegian: fornektelse (no) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Portuguese: negação (pt) f

Anagrams

• Aldine, alined, Daniel, daniel, deal in, dealin', enlaid, inlead, lead-in, nailed