Definition of deny
denied
;denying
transitive verb
1 : to declare untrue denied the allegation
2 : to refuse to admit or acknowledge : disavow denied responsibility for the vandalism
3a : to give a negative answer to denying the petitionersb : to refuse to grant deny a request was denied a refundc : to restrain (oneself) from gratification of desires deny himself the foods that he loves
4 archaic : decline
5 : to refuse to accept the existence, truth, or validity of There's no denying her expertise. You can't deny that he's a good singer.
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Examples of deny in a Sentence
He denied the report that he would be quitting his job.
She denies all the charges that have been made against her.
The police deny that racism is a problem in the department.
Yes, I was there. I don't deny it.
The judge denied their request.
a government that denies its citizens basic freedoms
Recent Examples of deny from the Web
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Air France reportedly denied boarding to 15 passengers over the weekend following the order.
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Privacy advocates warn that gunfire detectors could be used to eavesdrop on kids’ cafeteria gossip (ShotSpotter denies this is possible), and Virtual Command gives authorities unprecedented ability to monitor and control students’ movements.
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In the past, Mr. dos Santos has denied any wrongdoing related to the contracts.
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The doctor’s request for a test was denied by the Hawaii Medical Service Association, the state’s largest health insurer, which began requiring pre-authorization on imaging tests in December.
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John Kasich and Ted Cruz’s plan to deny Donald Trump delegates reflects a perpetual blind spot for the Republican Party: voters in the Northeast.
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Answer Fella does not deny the soul exists, but to speak of the human body after the soul's flight is to speak merely of meat.
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That the volunteer Army is another class can hardly be denied.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deny'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of deny
Middle English, from Anglo-French deneier, denier, from Latin denegare, from de- + negare to deny — more at negate
First Known Use: 14th century
Synonym Discussion of deny
DENY Defined for English Language Learners
deny
playDefinition of deny for English Language Learners
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: to say that something is not true
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: to refuse to accept or admit (something)
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: to refuse to give (something) to someone : to prevent someone from having or receiving (something)
DENY Defined for Kids
deny
playDefinition of deny for Students
denied
;denying
1 : to declare not to be true “Well, they were a lazy lot—that much you can't deny.” — Mary Norton, The Borrowers
2 : to refuse to grant deny a request
3 : to refuse to admit deny guilt
Word Root of deny
The Latin word negāre, meaning “to deny” or “to say no,” and its form negātus give us the root neg. Words from the Latin negāre have something to do with saying no. Anything negative, such as a reply to a question, denies something or responds by saying no. To renege is to go back on, or deny, an agreement or promise. Even the last letters of deny, to declare something to be false, come from negāre.
Law Dictionary
deny
Legal Definition of deny
denied
denying
1 : to declare untrue a party must…admit or deny the allegations — Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 8(b) — compare avoid
2 : to refuse to grant denied the motion for a new trial
Learn More about deny
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See words that rhyme with deny Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for deny Spanish Central: Translation of deny Nglish: Translation of deny for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of deny for Arabic speakers
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