confute
[ kuhn-fyoot ]
verb (used with object),con·fut·ed, con·fut·ing.
to prove to be false, invalid, or defective; disprove: to confute an argument.
to prove (a person) to be wrong by argument or proof: to confute one's opponent.
Obsolete. to bring to naught; confound.
Origin of confute
1Other words from confute
- con·fut·a·ble, adjective
- con·fut·er, noun
- un·con·fut·a·ble, adjective
- un·con·fut·ed, adjective
- un·con·fut·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use confute in a sentence
The greatest part of his writings is not confutable: it is historical and critical.'
Life Of Johnson, Volume 5 | Boswell
British Dictionary definitions for confute
confute
/ (kənˈfjuːt) /
verb(tr)
to prove (a person or thing) wrong, invalid, or mistaken; disprove
obsolete to put an end to
Origin of confute
1C16: from Latin confūtāre to check, silence
Derived forms of confute
- confutable, adjective
- confutation (ˌkɒnfjʊˈteɪʃən), noun
- confutative, adjective
- confuter, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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