denialism

noun

de·​ni·​al·​ism di-ˈnī(-ə)l-ˌi-zəm 

dē-

: the practice of denying the existence, truth, or validity of something despite proof or strong evidence that it is real, true, or valid

This depressing tale is the latest incarnation of denialism, the systematic rejection of a body of science in favour of make-believe.

—Debora MacKenzie

He [Henry Puna] said climate change denialism jeopardised the future of Pacific countries: "Some are not willing to accept the stark realities."

—Ben Doherty

The problem of vaccine denialism is closely tied to the problem of information and authority in the digital age. People prone to skepticism can cover themselves with layers of pseudo-science and conspiracy theories that thicken and harden like papier mache.

—Michael Gerson

Getting accurate information across in the face of this science denialism is something of a minefield, as there is evidence that attempts to correct misinformation may backfire, further entrenching the beliefs of science deniers instead.

—Cathleen O'Grady

Examples of denialism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While Europe’s far-right parties have found common cause on issues such as immigration and climate denialism, there is little else that unites them. —Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 10 June 2024

And the state really became the center for election denialism theories and claims. —Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 7 June 2024

Many researchers say this sort of denialism has been effective. —Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 June 2024

There's a marker that the election denialism and controversies that remained in Arizona's politics and rhetoric after 2020 are still here. —Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 19 May 2024

With the same two candidates primed for a 2024 rematch, historians, political experts, Democrats and even some Republicans who left office because of Trump are raising alarm about what this expanding circle of potential election denialism means for the future of self-government in America. —Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024

Kurz is one of several Holocaust survivors now telling their stories in short videos as part of an international effort to tackle Holocaust denialism and hate speech. —Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024

The hate speech from the multiple Zoom attendees included accusations of pedophilia and child molestation, anti-Jewish conspiracies, and Holocaust denialism. —Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024

But by the time Trump assumed the presidency in 2017, the ongoing radicalization of the Republican Party, including rampant climate change denialism, had left little room for moderates. —TIME, 8 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

denial + -ism

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above