Denial
/dɪˈnaɪ.əl/noun
The refusal to accept or believe something as true.
Did you know?The word 'denial' stems from a Latin term meaning 'to say no', linking it to the deep psychological conflict of rejecting one's own truth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ne-
“a prefix meaning 'not' or 'no'.”
Latin
Latin
negare
“to refuse, deny, or say no.”
Old French
Old French
denial
“a refusal or rejection.”
Middle English
Middle English
denial
“the act of denying or refusal to accept.”
Modern English
English
denial
“the refusal to accept the truth or reality of something.”