Adjacent Words

Refutation definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

REFUTA'TION, n. [L. refutatio. See Refute.]
The act or process of refuting or disproving; the act of proving to be false or erroneous; the overthrowing of an argument, opinion, testimony, doctrine or theory, by argument or countervailing proof.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions; "his refutation of the charges was short and persuasive"; "in defense he said the other man started it" [syn: refutation, defense, defence]
2: any evidence that helps to establish the falsity of something [syn: disproof, falsification, refutation]
3: the act of determining that something is false [syn: falsification, falsifying, disproof, refutation, refutal]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: circa 1548 the act or process of refuting

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Refutation Ref`u*ta"tion (r?f`?*t?"sh?n), n. [L. refutatio: cf. F. r['e]futation.] The act or process of refuting or disproving, or the state of being refuted; proof of falsehood or error; the overthrowing of an argument, opinion, testimony, doctrine, or theory, by argument or countervailing proof. Same of his blunders seem rather to deserve a flogging than a refutation. --Macaulay.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(refutations) A refutation of an argument, accusation, or theory is something that proves it is wrong or untrue. (FORMAL) He prepared a complete refutation of the Republicans' most serious charges. N-VAR

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Confutation, disproof, refutal.

Moby Thesaurus

abjuration, abjurement, abrogation, absolute contradiction, annulment, answer, argument, argumentum, case, complete answer, confounding, confutation, cons, consideration, contradiction, contraremonstrance, contrary assertion, contravention, controversion, counteraccusation, counterblast, countercharge, counterclaim, countering, counterreply, counterstatement, crossing, defense, demolition, demurrer, denial, disaffirmation, disallowance, disavowal, disclaimer, disclamation, discrediting, disownment, disproof, effective rejoinder, elenchus, exception, forswearing, gainsaying, ignoratio elenchi, impugnment, nullification, objection, overthrow, overthrowal, plaidoyer, plea, pleading, pleadings, pros, pros and cons, reason, rebuttal, rebutter, recantation, refutal, rejoinder, renunciation, replication, reply, repudiation, response, retractation, retraction, revocation, riposte, special demurrer, special pleading, squelch, statement of defense, subversion, surrebuttal, surrebutter, surrejoinder, talking point, undermining, upset, upsetting