denial vs disavowal

denial and disavowal both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
denial	Yes	No	No	No
disavowal	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, disavowal is a hyponym of denial; that is, disavowal is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than denial:

Other hyponyms of denial include abnegation, naysaying, negative, refusal, disclaimer.

denial (noun)	disavowal (noun)
a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him	denial of any connection with or knowledge of
renunciation of your own interests in favor of the interests of others
the act of refusing to comply (as with a request)
the act of asserting that something alleged is not true
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that denies painful thoughts