repudiation

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the act of rejecting, disowning, or refusing to accept something as valid

   Her public repudiation of the false claim ended the dispute.

2. 2
   noun

   a refusal to honor or pay a debt, contract, or other obligation

   The government's repudiation of the debt alarmed international lenders.

From Latin repudiatio, from repudiare, 'to reject or cast off.' English preserved the broad sense of disowning a claim, belief, or association and developed a specialized legal and financial sense for refusing to recognize an obligation or debt.

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