rebuttal

[ri-buht-l]

noun

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

   Synonyms: confutation, denial, refutation, rejoinder

rebuttal

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of rebuttal¹

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

Example Sentences

His story is one of determination, unearthed as a rebuttal to the many insistences that he doesn’t belong in the Marines.

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They could clearly hear his ideas, and he was surrounded by other young people on all sides of the political landscape - an environment that often produced explosive viral videos of his exchanges and rebuttals.

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But the authors of the rebuttal say the report misrepresents evidence, relies on discredited research and fails to follow the peer review process typically expected of rigorous scientific assessments, among other concerns.

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As Slate’s Matt Watkins explains, “Once again, Democrats fell into the trap they have been stumbling into for years. They met a visceral, emotional play with an abstract, data-heavy rebuttal.”

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Either, Ferguson reasoned, demanded a fierce rebuttal and a circling of the wagons.

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Related Words

• rejoinder 
• reply