?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) ii. 216 (MED) In alle þis barette þe kyng & Sir Symon..An oth suore..to fare bifor Philip of France; At his dome suld it be, withoute refusyng.

Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 427 Refusynge, refutacio, recusacio.

c1475 tr. C. de Pisan Livre du Corps de Policie (Cambr.) (1977) 148 (MED) He gate mor worchipp of..refusyng of so grete a gyfte.

c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) xxiv. 70 They shal derely by the refusynge of theyr answere.

1565 J. Jewel Replie Hardinges Answeare ii. 145 This woorde, Sacrilege, and the refusinge of the Cuppe, are bothe specially named by Gelasius.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Repudiement, a refusing.

1660 Bp. J. Taylor Ductor Dubitantium I. ii. ii. 285 Single life, and abstinence from certain meats, and refusing of bloud.

1705 G. Stanhope Paraphr. Epist. & Gospels II. 348 What forced Constructions do we put upon every Indignity, that it may not pass for a final Refusing?

1776 A. Smith Inq. Wealth of Nations I. i. xi. 219 They seemed to..consider them [sc. little bits of gold] as just worth the picking up, but not worth the refusing to any body who asked them. View more context for this quotation

1814 J. Austen Mansfield Park I. xii. 250 To ask me in such a way too! without ceremony, before them all, so as to leave me no possibility of refusing ! View more context for this quotation

1846 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) x. 93 ‘No, no, no,’ observed the Captain complacently. ‘Of course not. No call for refusing.’

1901 Chambers's Jrnl. Sept. 663/2 He will..learn a lot of bad tricks, such as..slipping his head-collar at night, and ‘refusing’ in the hunting-field.

1949 Times 8 Dec. 5/4 It was not Weizsaecker who ordered the refusing of it, but Hitler and Ribbentrop.

2007 V. Das Life & Words i. 11 This refusing of a powerful ritual connection..hinted at the powerful hold of some past betrayal.

1409 in J. Slater Early Scots Texts (Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Edinb.) (1952) No. 72 Ande quhasa refusis til submit him to the saide lordis [etc.]..the party refusand that nouthir of the saide lordis sal..suppouel fra thine furthe.

1583 G. Babington Very Fruitfull Expos. Commaundem. iv. 182 Our recusantes, as wee call them, that is our refusing Papists to come to Church.

1627 in J. Rushworth Hist. Coll. (1659) 445 After his going,..the refusing Londoners were pursued more fervently then before.

a1649 T. Shepard Church-membership of Children (1663) 6 He will take away this refuseing heart from among them indefinitely.

1723 Pres. State Russia II. 264 The King of Sweden..returned a refusing Answer.

1775 D. Garrick Let. 10 Apr. (1963) III. 1001 I still keep aloof, & have written a very spirited & refusing letter to him.

1835 Biblical Repertory July 468 It is a simple declaration on the part of the refusing body that the reception of the applicant is inexpedient.

1854 R. Phillimore Comm. Internat. Law I. ii. ii. 113 A purpose conceived to be inexpedient by the refusing State.

1904 Jrnl. Afr. Soc. 4 95 The effect of a persistent refusal is the curse of the Yibir, supposed to result in a violent death to the refusing party.

1955 W. Lippmann Ess. Public Philos. iii. 30 The representative assembly is the consenting power,..the accepting and the refusing power.

2001 M. M. Velasquez et al. Group Treatm. for Substance Abuse iii. vi. 158 Walk among them and make sure that clients in the refusing role respond only with the single word ‘no’.

1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 46 Why haue ye thus ansuerd him so coldely & refusingly?

1659 G. Torriano Florio's Vocabolario Italiano & Inglese A-rifúso, refusingly.

1805 T. Morton School of Reform iii. i She waves her hand refusingly.

1994 M. Frazer Bishop's Tale iv. 32 Matilda shook her head refusingly through all of Frevisse 's words.