refute
pronunciation
How to pronounce refute in British English:
UK [rɪˈfjuːt]
How to pronounce refute in American English:
US [rɪˈfjuːt]
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- Verb:
- overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof
- prove to be false or incorrect
Word Origin
- refute
- refute: see beat
- refute (v.)
- 1510s, "refuse, reject," from Middle French réfuter (16c.) and directly from Latin refutare "drive back; rebut, disprove; repress, repel, resist, oppose," from re- "back" (see re-) + -futare "to beat," probably from PIE root *bhau- "to strike down" (see bat (n.1)). Meaning "prove wrong" dates from 1540s. Since c. 1964 linguists have frowned on the subtle shift in meaning towards "to deny," as it is used in connection with allegation. Related: Refuted; refuting.
Synonym
Example
- 1. It 's easy to refute such nonsense .
- 2. Mr samaras 's argument against austerity is hard to refute on economic grounds .
- 3. Yet this study did not necessarily refute dollo 's law .
- 4. But in his efforts to refute it , mr berlusconi has raised bigger questions about his conduct .
- 5. The very modernity of friedman meant that he was vulnerable in his technical findings to new researchers claiming to refute his work by still more up to date statistical methods .