verb
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(tr) to prove (a statement, theory, charge, etc) of (a person) to be false or incorrect; disprove
-
to deny (a claim, charge, allegation, etc)
Usage
The use of refute to mean deny is thought by many people to be incorrect
Other Word Forms
- refutability noun
- refutable adjective
- refutably adverb
- refuter noun
- self-refuted adjective
- self-refuting adjective
- unrefuted adjective
- unrefuting adjective
Etymology
Origin of refute
First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin refūtāre “to check, suppress, refute, rebut,” equivalent to re- re- + -fūtāre presumably, “to beat” (attested only with the prefixes con- and re-; confute )
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.
Pressed by a Democratic senator, Gabbard said that she did not have enough time to read the full testimony at the hearing but did not refute the assessment.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
Evy is the show’s skeptic, able to use logic to refute every Creepypasta-lite story or folktale they come across on the show.
From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026
Judges then cited these posts to refute the administration’s claims and rule against it.
From Slate • Feb. 18, 2026
“We need to have a number of reports that follow these catch-up data items that either confirm or refute the trends,” said Bill Northey, investment director at U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
He wanted to refute the idea that in the space of a day, the pesky badger had found a way to burrow into his heart.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions 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.
