This is the 4615th most frequent French word.
nient
The word "nient" does not exist in French. It might be a typo or misunderstanding.
In this sentence, 'nient' is used as a verb, the third person plural form of 'nier', meaning 'to deny', indicating an action performed by 'ils' (they).
Ils nient toujours les accusations portées contre eux.
They always deny the accusations made against them.
Here, 'nient' serves as the verb form for a statement regarding 'les responsables' (the officials), expressing denial of connection.
Les responsables nient tout lien avec l'incident.
The officials deny any link with the incident.
'Nient' is used to describe the action of the authorities (les autorités) negating prior awareness or information about an event.