irrefutable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irrefutable
1610–20; < Late Latin irrefūtābilis. See ir- 2, refutable ( def. )
Explanation
Have you ever had to prove a point? If so, you probably needed to find evidence that could not be denied — that was absolutely true. That evidence would be considered irrefutable, impossible to disprove. The adjective irrefutable comes from the Latin verb refutāre, "repel or beat," with the added negative prefix in-. Some things are simply irrefutable. These are things based in logic (if a=b and b=c, then a=c), or in fact (George Washington was the first president of the United States). But some things that are irrefutable, while maybe not logical, are simply not arguable, as when someone responds to "Why not?" with "Because I don't want to"!
Vocabulary lists containing irrefutable
Stamped
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Catching Fire
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Siddhartha
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Today’s report provides irrefutable evidence that the nation’s largest banks have denied, debanked and discriminated against customers and lawful businesses,” Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
The judge said the "irrefutable conclusion" was that Donaghy had intended to prevent disclosure of information.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
She requested the US provide "irrefutable" evidence before handing over Rocha, who is very close to her mentor, former president Andrew Manuel Lopez Obrador.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” is irrefutable proof of the impact of activism, no matter what level it starts at.
From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2026
He knew his ideas were practically blasphemous and so his book had to be as irrefutable as he could make it.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
