rebuttal

[ ri-buht-l ]

/ rɪˈbʌt l /

||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rebuttal ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an act of rebutting, as in a debate.

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RELATED WORDS

reply, rejoinder, defense, answer, counterclaim, countercharge, counterargument, confutation

Nearby words

rebuild, rebuke, rebus, rebus sic stantibus, rebut, rebuttal, rebutter, rec, rec room, rec., rec. sec.

Origin of rebuttal

First recorded in 1820–30; rebut + -al²

SYNONYMS FOR rebuttal

rejoinder, refutation, denial, confutation.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rebuttal ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rebuttal

One way to start: Time the release of the Senate report to coincide with the release of a CIA rebuttal.
Never Forget? The CIA Report and the Problem With Hindsight|Philip Mudd|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But I believe the report should be declassified along with the CIA rebuttal.
Ex-CIA Top Lawyer: Release the ‘Black Site’ Report|Eli Lake|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He denied, however, that Steadfast Jazz was in any way a rebuttal to Zapad-13.
The Return of Russian Hard Power?|Michael Weiss|November 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Back on the front page, beside the "C," my father had slashed his own rebuttal.
My Eulogy for My Father, Murray Frum|David Frum|May 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Howard Kurtz defends the glamorous style of presidential debates in a rebuttal to Stuart Stevens.
Memo to the Media: Quit Ruining Politics|Justin Green|April 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Often the rebuttal speeches of debate, coming at the close of the regular debate speeches, seem reserved for all the refutation.
Public Speaking|Clarence Stratton
However, he offered no rebuttal, nor did he reprove his daughter.
The Secret Pact|Mildred A. Wirt
To the surprise of all, the Commonwealth's attorney signified his purpose to offer testimony in rebuttal.
Overshadowed|Sutton E. Griggs
If not all the speakers are to speak in rebuttal the team itself decides which of its members shall speak for all.
Public Speaking|Clarence Stratton
And this argument he offers in rebuttal to Odysseus about resisting the onslaught of Hector.
Essays and Miscellanies|Plutarch

Culture definitions for rebuttal

rebuttal

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

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.