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Doubt vs Denial - What's the difference?

doubt | denial |

As nouns the difference between doubt and denial

is that doubt is uncertainty, disbelief while denial is the negation in logic.

As a verb doubt

is to lack confidence in; to disbelieve, question, or suspect.

doubt

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete)

Noun

(wikipedia doubt)
  • Uncertainty, disbelief.
  • *
    • It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street.. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts .

    Related terms

    * benefit of the doubt * beyond a shadow of a doubt * beyond doubt * beyond reasonable doubt * doubtable * doubter * doubtful * doubting Thomas * doubtless * no doubt * reasonable doubt * shadow of a doubt * self-doubt * undoubtedly * without doubt

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (ambitransitive) To lack confidence in; to disbelieve, question, or suspect.
    • He doubted that was really what you meant.
  • * Hooker
    • Even in matters divine, concerning some things, we may lawfully doubt
  • * Dryden
    • To try your love and make you doubt of mine.
  • (archaic) To fear; to suspect.
  • * 1819 , Lord Byron, Don Juan , I.186:
    • He fled, like Joseph, leaving it; but there, / I doubt , all likeness ends between the pair.
  • (obsolete) To fear; to be apprehensive of.
  • * R. of Gloucester
    • Edmond [was a] good man and doubted God.
  • * Shakespeare
    • I doubt some foul play.
  • * Spenser
    • I of doubted danger had no fear.
  • (obsolete) To fill with fear; to affright.
  • *
  • * Beaumont and Fletcher
    • The virtues of the valiant Caratach / More doubt me than all Britain.

    Related terms

    * dubiety * dubious

    Statistics

    * English reporting verbs

    denial

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (logic) The negation in logic.
  • A refusal to comply with a request.
  • An assertion of untruth.
  • Refusal to believe a problem exists
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
    • , volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.}}
  • (dated, psychology) A defense mechanism involving a refusal to accept the truth of a phenomenon or prospect.
  • * 2007 Feb. 11, " No facts, just emotion," Washington Times (retrieved 11 June 2013):
    • "Denial " came out of the therapyspeak prevalent in the middle of the 20th century, especially as it was applied to confronting the reality of mortality. It was popularized as the first stage of grief, and quickly expanded to include refusal to confront any bad news or disturbing ideas.

    Derived terms

    * non-denial denial

    Related terms

    * denier * deny

    Anagrams

    *