rebuttal

American  

[ri-buht-l] / rɪˈbʌt l /

noun

1. an act of rebutting, as in a debate.

   Synonyms:

   confutation, denial, refutation, rejoinder

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rebuttal Cultural  

1. A reply intended to show fault in an opponent's argument.

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Etymology

Origin of rebuttal

First recorded in 1820–30; rebut + -al ²

Explanation

When two people debate, one of them makes an argument, and the other follows with a rebuttal, which, plainly put, is the "No, you're wrong, and this is why" argument. We often associate rebuttals with arguments made in the courtroom or public debates that occur around election time, but the word can really apply to any situation in which an argument is put forth and someone disagrees and explains why. Sports fans, for instance, like to argue about the likely winner of an upcoming game, and when you make a case for why your friend is wrong, you are offering a rebuttal of his argument.

Related Words

• rejoinder
• reply