an official denial or contradiction of something that has been said or reported; a formal disavowal.
From Italian 'smentire' (to deny), used in diplomatic and political contexts. Entered English from French 'démenti' in the 19th century, borrowed from Italian via French.
In diplomatic circles, a 'dementi' is the polite way to call someone a liar — it's that word governments use in statements that say 'we completely deny what was just said.'
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