the act of refusing
"The manager's sharp refusal to approve the budget left the team frustrated."
a message refusing to accept something that is offered
"The bank sent a formal refusal of our loan application yesterday."
The act of refusing.
"His refusal to sign the contract surprised everyone at the meeting."
The word refusal comes from Middle English and is formed by adding the suffix -al to refuse. It originally meant an act of refusing or declining something.