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.
Mexico is seeking "irrefutable" evidence to back up the shock US drug trafficking charges against a sitting governor and other officials before proceeding with extradition requests, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
But one of Conlon’s parting gifts to L.A. is an irrefutable argument that no art form does redemption quite like opera.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 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
What is irrefutable is the Rams are continually deepening their foothold on the Los Angeles market.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025
The message was irrefutable, for Ben was fluent in the rituals of disaster.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions 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.
