Definition of refusal
1
:the act of refusing or denying
2
:the opportunity or right of refusing or taking before others
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Examples of refusal in a Sentence
My request for more money was met with a flat refusal.
his flat refusal of our reasonable request was rather startling
Recent Examples of refusal from the Web
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Vice principal Gaines’s prejudices aren’t Issa and Frieda's fault, but Issa’s refusal to address or mitigate them is her own failure and borders on active neglect.
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The Administration’s refusal to quickly and unequivocally condemn the cancer of hatred only further emboldens those who wish America ill.
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President Trump’s refusal to unequivocally condemn the white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., has thrilled these awful fringe groups.
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Late-night comedians all took to their respective stages ready to rebuke President Donald Trump for his refusal to call out Nazis and white supremacists for their actions in Charlottesville, Virginia, until two days after the fact.
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Trump’s refusal to properly notify government agencies in advance of his Twitter declarations.
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Columbus holds the top spot in the allocation rankings and therefore the first right of refusal for Nemeth’s services.
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In April at a White House lunch, President Trump reportedly said his refusal to fire Spicer was due to the attention his bizarre press briefings received.
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The White House did not respond to questions about Trump's refusal to have a note taker for his meeting with Putin, or about whether McMaster communicated his concerns to the president.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'refusal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of refusal
15th century
refusal Synonyms
Synonyms
declination, disallowance, nay, no, nonacceptance, denial, rejection, turndownAntonyms
allowance, approval, grant, OK (or okay)Related Words
rebuff, repudiation, repulse, spurn; negative; ban, injunction, veto; deterrence, discouragement, repression, suppressionNear Antonyms
acceptance, accession, acquiescence, agreement, assent, authorization, clearance, concurrence, consent, leave, license (or licence), permission, sanction, sufferance; imprimatur, seal, signature, stampREFUSAL Defined for English Language Learners
refusal
play
noun
Definition of refusal for English Language Learners
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: an act of saying or showing that you will not do, give, or accept something : an act of refusing
REFUSAL Defined for Kids
refusal
play
noun
re·fus·al
\
ri-ˈfyü-zəl
\
Definition of refusal for Students
:the act of showing unwillingness to do, give, or allow something
a refusal to answer questions
Learn More about refusal
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See words that rhyme with refusal Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for refusal Spanish Central: Translation of refusal Nglish: Translation of refusal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of refusal for Arabic speakers
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