prot ‧ es ‧ ta ‧ tion /ˌprɒtəˈsteɪʃ ə n ˌprəʊ-, ˌprɒtɪˈsteɪʃ ə n ˌprəʊ- $ ˌprɑː-, ˌproʊ-/ BrE AmE noun [countable] formal
a strong statement saying that something is true or not true, when other people believe the opposite
protestation of
protestations of innocence