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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Catching Fire
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Siddhartha
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The judge said the "irrefutable conclusion" was that Donaghy had intended to prevent disclosure of information.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Covid-19 stole some of that progress, but the advancements remain irrefutable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Sheinbaum responded to the indictments by requesting the US provide "irrefutable" evidence against Rocha Moya before potentially extraditing him.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
Yet the mountain of information regarding the link between repeated helmet-to-helmet hitting and CTE is irrefutable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026
He knew he was right; he just had to make his argument clear enough so as to be, as much as was possible, irrefutable.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
