Definition of refutationnext
as in rebuttal
something (as an argument) that serves to disprove these are hard scientific facts against which there can be no reasonable refutation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of refutation Or a refutation of activism — Zayd admires his parents’ commitment. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026 The death of New START represents the refutation of those decades of work. Matthew Gault, Wired News, 9 Feb. 2026 However, some legal experts and investors are anticipating a partial or full refutation of the president’s IEEPA tariffs, as the justices showed skepticism during arguments about the president’s authority to levy such taxes without Congressional approval. Jake Angelo, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026 Indian investment behavior, Rustomjee argues, is a living refutation of the efficient market hypothesis, or the idea that stock prices faithfully reflect all available information about the underlying asset. Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for refutation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refutation
Noun
  • Heather has a great rebuttal, which is that Emily is accusing her of things that Emily does herself.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For all the conservative positioning of Anne as a rebuttal to more urban, racially diverse, multicultural programming…Anne had more significance than this neat divide between contemporary culture and conservative history.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • On a Sunday afternoon in July, while much of the world watched the World Cup final, a counterexample was found to the Jacobian conjecture, a problem that had resisted proof or disproof since 1939.
    Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Non-falsifiable and untestable hypotheses cannot be checked out, and hence those ideas are incapable of disproof.
    Big Think, Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refutation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refutation. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!