an official denial by a government of actions, aims, etc., ascribed to it
Word origin
[1585–95; ‹ F: lit., contradiction, ptp. of démentir to deny, OF desmentir, equiv. to des-dis-1 + mentir to lie ‹ L mentīrī]This word is first recorded in the period 1585–95. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: competence, develop, puzzle, scuff, switch