self-denial
UK[ˌself dɪˈnaɪəl]US[ˌself dɪˈnaɪəl]
n
The act of not allowing yourself to have or do something you want, especially for moral or religious reasons.
n
The act of not accepting or admitting that something exists or is true.
Morpheme Breakdown
self
denial
self
own
denial
refusal
Etymology
The compound 'self-denial' is a relatively modern English formation, emerging in the 17th century. Its first element, 'self', is an ancient Germanic word with cognates across Indo-European languages, fundamentally meaning "same." The second element, 'denial', entered English via Anglo-French, tracing back to the Latin verb denegare, meaning "to say no, to refuse." The compound's logic is transparent: it is the act of refusing or saying no to oneself. Historically, the term became prominent in Christian ascetic and philosophical contexts, where the conscious refusal of one's own desires or interests was seen as a path to spiritual or moral discipline. Over time, its meaning broadened to include any instance of refusing to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth about oneself.
Analysis
Structure: self (own) + denial (refusal)
self: Old English, meaning "one's own person." It functions as a prefix indicating something directed at, performed by, or concerning oneself.
denial: From Old French denier (to deny), ultimately from Latin denegare (to deny, refuse). It functions as the core noun, meaning the act of refusing or rejecting.
Examples
His life was one of austerity and self-denial.
Practicing self-denial during the holiday season can be challenging.
Her self-denial about the severity of the problem only made things worse.