The act of refusing to accept responsibility for or denying connection to something.
Present participle of disavow, combining dis- + avow with the -ing suffix to show ongoing action. Became common in English legal and political contexts by the 17th century.
Politicians have been 'disavowing' controversial statements since the word entered English — it's basically the formal way to say 'that wasn't me' or 'I didn't mean it.'
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