1. A refusal to comply with or satisfy a request.
2. 1. A refusal to grant the truth of a statement or allegation; a contradiction.
   2. Law. The opposing by a defendant of an allegation of the plaintiff.
3. 1. A refusal to accept or believe something, such as a doctrine or belief.
   2. Psychology. An unconscious defense mechanism characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings.
4. The act of disowning or disavowing; repudiation.
5. Abstinence; self-denial.

[From DENY.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.