SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
refutation
noun
An argument or evidence showing that a claim is false or mistaken.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Demonstration of falsity
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topRefutation in this strict sense demonstrates an error. A rebuttal or counterargument challenges a claim but may not settle it.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See refutation in use
Her refutation identified the arithmetic error on which the claim depended.
A second student offered a rebuttal to the lighting claim by explaining why chair comfort was not evidence about visibility. A photograph of a desk without a lamp supplied a refutation of the separate statement that every desk had one, provided the photograph matched the room and time under discussion.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license