इनकार (inkaar)

noun A noun meaning 'refusal' or 'denial', almost always used with करना (karnaa) as its light verb, and less commonly with होना (honaa).
Sense 1 : refusal, denial
noun, masculine Almost always appears in the frame X से इनकार करना (se inkaar karnaa, 'to refuse/deny X'), where the thing being refused or denied is marked with से (se), not को (ko).
Synonyms: मनाही (manaahii, refusal/prohibition), नकार (nakaar, rare)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in news and courtroom-style contexts -- आरोपी ने आरोपों से इनकार किया (aaropii ne aaropon se inkaar kiyaa, 'the accused denied the charges') is a stock phrase in Hindi journalism. In everyday life, it also covers simple personal refusals, like turning down an invitation or a request.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often mark the refused thing with को (ko) by analogy with English 'refuse something' -- the correct postposition here is से (se): बात से इनकार किया (baat se inkaar kiyaa, 'denied the matter'), not बात को इनकार किया. 2) इनकार (inkaar) itself is not a verb -- it needs करना (karnaa) to function as one; saying just मैं इनकार (main inkaar) for 'I refuse' is incomplete without the verb.
Sample Sentences:
आरोपी ने सभी आरोपों से इनकार किया। The accused denied all the charges.
(aaropii ne sabhii aaropon se inkaar kiyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसने मेरी मदद करने से साफ इनकार कर दिया। He flatly refused to help me.
(usne merii madad karne se saaph inkaar kar diyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कंपनी इस बात से इनकार करती है कि उसने कोई गलती की। The company denies that it made any mistake.
(kampnii is baat se inkaar kartii hai ki usne koii galtii kii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर वह इनकार करे तो हम क्या करेंगे? If he refuses, what will we do?
(agar vah inkaar kare to ham kyaa karenge?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उसके निमंत्रण को इनकार मत करो, बुरा मान जाएगा। Don't refuse his invitation, he'll feel bad.
(uske nimantran ko inkaar mat karo, buraa maan jaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मंत्री ने भ्रष्टाचार के आरोपों से इनकार किया है। The minister has denied the corruption charges.
(mantrii ne bhrashtaachaar ke aaropon se inkaar kiyaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर उसने सच में इनकार किया होता, तो पुलिस उसे गिरफ्तार कर लेती। If he had actually denied it, the police would have arrested him.
(agar usne sach men inkaar kiyaa hotaa, to pulis use giraphtaar kar letii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
उसका इनकार सुनकर सब हैरान रह गए। Everyone was stunned to hear his refusal.
(uskaa inkaar sunkar sab hairaan rah gae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
प्रस्ताव को बिना किसी कारण के इनकार कर दिया गया। The proposal was rejected without any reason.
(prastaav ko binaa kisii kaaran ke inkaar kar diyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
वह हर बार शादी के प्रस्ताव से इनकार कर देती थी। She used to refuse every marriage proposal.
(vah har baar shaadii ke prastaav se inkaar kar detii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
गवाह ने अदालत में अपने बयान से इनकार कर दिया। The witness retracted his statement in court.
(gavaah ne adaalat men apne bayaan se inkaar kar diyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): इनकार (inkaar)
(sg.m.oblique): इनकार (inkaar)
(pl.m.direct): इनकार (inkaar)
(pl.m.oblique): इनकारों (inkaaron)