desmentida

Desmentida is a noun used in Spanish and Portuguese to denote the denial or refutation of a statement, claim, or rumor. It can refer to the act of denying itself or to the statement issued to reject an assertion. The corresponding verb in both languages is desmentir, with related noun forms such as desmentido and desmentida, depending on gender and language.

Etymology: The word derives from a prefix de- (undo, negate) combined with mentir (to lie), reflecting the idea of undoing a lie or contradicting an assertion. In modern usage, it broadens to the denial of a claim regardless of whether the claim is true.

Context and use: In journalism and institutional communication, desmentidas are issued to counter rumors, misinformation, or accusations. In legal or political contexts, a desmentida can accompany formal statements denying charges or rebutting evidence. In Portuguese, you may encounter desmentida oficial or desmentido público; in Spanish, desmentida is common in formal discourse, though negación or rechazo official are also used.

Examples: The company issued a desmentida after rumors about store closures. The spokesperson published a desmentida to disprove the accusations of irregularities.

See also: negación, refutación, desmentimiento, desmentido.