demurral

noun

de·​mur·​ral di-ˈmər-əl How to pronounce demurral (audio)
-ˈmə-rəl
: the act or an instance of demurring

Examples of demurral in a Sentence

Suggestions that she run for president have been met with repeated demurrals. surprisingly, she wrote the check for the parking fine without demurral
Recent Examples on the Web As to the possibility of breaking his seven-Preakness tie with 19th century trainer R. Wyndham Walden, Baffert gave his usual demurral. Childs Walker, baltimoresun.com, 2 Oct. 2020 Nevertheless, all systems rely upon buy-in, and every demurral helps to chip away a little at the rock on which the country has been built. The Editors, National Review, 24 Sep. 2020 Rather than giving the traditional I-would-be-honored-but-am-focused-on-my-current-job demurral, some interested parties have been more forthcoming. Lissandra Villa, Time, 21 May 2020 The demurral raised questions for the Saudis about the American commitment to Saudi security, which has underpinned the strategic layout of the Persian Gulf for decades. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2019 Watching Peterson, in that video, you are reminded of the many Americans who may feel refreshed by Yang’s demurrals on race. New York Times, 23 Oct. 2019 That said, any demurral is clearly a minority opinion. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2019 The Gerson woman poured them both another glass of whiskey, ignoring the maid’s demurral. Adam O’Fallon Price, Harper's magazine, 10 June 2019 This time, she’s lined up seven people to watch and wait and push through her demurrals and distractions, including her physician and midwife. Nicole Cliffe, SELF, 26 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'demurral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of demurral was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near demurral

Cite this Entry

“Demurral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demurral. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

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