repudiation

noun

re·​pu·​di·​a·​tion ri-ˌpyü-dē-ˈā-shən 

: the act of repudiating : the state of being repudiated

especially : the refusal of public authorities to acknowledge or pay a debt

repudiationist

ri-ˌpyü-dē-ˈā-sh(ə-)nist 

noun

Synonyms

• contradiction
• denegation
• denial
• disallowance
• disavowal
• disclaimer
• disconfirmation
• negation
• rejection

Examples of repudiation in a Sentence

voters seemed satisfied by the candidate's public repudiation of the beliefs of an organization to which he had briefly belonged as a youth

New Year's resolutions typically include the repudiation of chocolate and other indulgences and the promise to resume working out at the gym.

Recent Examples on the Web

And, along with its hearty sentiment, Cukor delivers a strong repudiation of provincial American moralism. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024

But attacking a young, particularly female, campaign staffer or volunteer like this deserves blunt repudiation. —Ken Bensinger, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024

The court’s ruling amounts to a repudiation of the agreement, both the opposition and the United States have claimed. —Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, 30 Jan. 2024

Robert Alexander, director of the Institute for Civic and Public Policy at Ohio Northern University, said a Moreno loss would be seen as a bit of a repudiation of Trump in a key state. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024

While the amendment says nothing about the Pride flag, some saw it as a repudiation of the City Council unanimous vote in 2021 to fly the Pride flag for the month of June every year. —Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024

Survivors of the October 7 terror attack and the families of hostages were furious at the uncompromising repudiation of a deal that – ultimately – could have resulted in the return of all the remaining hostages in Gaza. —Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024

Soon, in an extraordinary and humiliating wave of repudiation, news agencies including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and Getty all issued kill notices for the picture, forbidding its distribution on their channels. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024

However, in its 1515 repudiation of the printing press the empire rejected math and science—forfeiting its claim as a leading center of culture. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

repudiation

noun

re·​pu·​di·​a·​tion ri-ˌpyü-dē-ˈā-shən 

: the rejection or renunciation of a duty or obligation (as under a contract)

especially : anticipatory repudiation

Note: A party aggrieved by a repudiation may consider a repudiated contract to have been breached and bring an action for relief.