refute

[ ri-fyoot ]

verb (used with object)

, re·fut·ed, re·fut·ing.

1. to prove to be false or erroneous, as an opinion or charge.

   Synonyms: confute, rebut, disprove

2. to prove (a person) to be in error.

   Synonyms: confute

refute

/ rɪˈfjuː-; rɪˌfjuː-; ˈrɛfjʊtəbəl; rɪˈfjuːt; ˌrɛfjʊtəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

verb

1. tr to prove (a statement, theory, charge, etc) of (a person) to be false or incorrect; disprove
2. to deny (a claim, charge, allegation, etc)

Usage

The use of refute to mean deny is thought by many people to be incorrect

Derived Forms

• ˈrefutably, adverb
• reˈfuter, noun
• refutable, adjective
• refutability, noun

Other Words From

• re·fut·a·ble [ri-, fyoo, -t, uh, -b, uh, l, ref, -y, uh, -t, uh, -], adjective
• re·fut·er noun
• self-re·fut·ed adjective
• self-re·fut·ing adjective
• un·re·fut·ed adjective
• un·re·fut·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of refute¹

First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin refūtāre “to check, suppress, refute, rebut,” equivalent to re- re- + -fūtāre presumably, “to beat” (attested only with the prefixes con- and re-; confute )

Word History and Origins

Origin of refute¹

C16: from Latin refūtāre to rebut

Example Sentences

And no one is better equipped to refute this false equivalence than Mack herself.

From The Daily Beast

Szarkowski responded: “The claim is impossible to refute, and in fact not easy to understand.”

From The Daily Beast

This would seem to refute the new report that the captain alone would have been able to disable all the systems.

From The Daily Beast

But this is all ‘a work in progress’… [that] we are trying to confirm or refute.

From The Daily Beast

Which is why we need the most up-to-date science—and for government entities to refute “abortion-inducing” misnomers.

From The Daily Beast

And Diotti, remembering Mildreds words, could not refute the old mans statements.

From Project Gutenberg

I shall make a series of statements, and give you opportunity to refute them either in part or in toto.

From Project Gutenberg

But it is easy to refute all these useless reasonings and to show the falsity of all these evidences.

From Project Gutenberg

(This fact alone is sufficient to refute the opinion that confuses time with that which is movable).

From Project Gutenberg

This is the great point which the champions of the "bogey" theory are most anxious to refute.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• contradict
• counter
• disprove
• expose
• oppose
• quash
• rebut
• repudiate
• squelch