refutation

American  

[ref-yoo-tey-shuhn] / ˌrɛf yʊˈteɪ ʃən /

Also refutal

noun

1. an act of refuting a statement, charge, etc.; disproof.

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refutation British  

/ ˌrɛfjʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of refuting

2. something that refutes; disproof

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Other Word Forms

• nonrefutal noun
• nonrefutation noun

Etymology

Origin of refutation

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin refūtātiōn-, stem of refūtātiō, from refūtāt(us) “checked, rebutted” (past participle of refūtāre “to check, suppress, refute, rebut”; refute ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Every single refutation of their conspiracy theory just proves that the conspiracy goes even further and deeper than they thought.

From MarketWatch

Yet I spelled out the two-part criteria for defining cases, qualifying them as “extraordinary evidence” and opening myself to a decisive refutation.

From The Wall Street Journal

Certainly, some effort must be made to point out falsehoods and inconsistencies, but the same psychological evidence that shows how falsehood and inconsistency gain traction also tells us that retractions and refutations are seldom effective.

From Salon

But as more data was collected and analyzed in more sophisticated ways, scientists increasingly found refutations of Red Queen theory.

From Science Daily

His effort didn’t work very well this time around, mostly because the CBO was ready with a nearly instant refutation of his claim.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• rebuttal