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refute

rih-FYOOT /rɪˈfjuːt/

verbB2GRESATTOEFLIELTS

academicformal

To prove a statement, claim, or theory to be false or incorrect by presenting superior evidence or argument.

Requires actual proof or decisive counter-evidence. Merely denying a claim without evidence is not refuting it.

The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'refutare', meaning to beat back, drive back, or repel. In debate, when an opponent hurls a false claim at you, to refute it is to beat it back with decisive facts.

Word relationships

disprove: Disprove is an exact synonym, though refute carries a slightly stronger tone of active argumentation.
rebut: To rebut is to offer arguments against something; to refute means those counter-arguments successfully disproved it.

confirm: To establish the truth or correctness of a claim.
corroborate: To support with additional confirming evidence.

Commonly confused with

rebut: Rebutting is attempting to disprove; refuting is successfully disproving.

Word family

refutation (noun): The act of proving a statement or theory false.
irrefutable (adjective): Impossible to deny or disprove.

Collocations

refute a claim
refute a theory
decisively refute
refute allegations

Example sentences

"Rigorous double-blind experiments completely refuted the old theory that stress was the sole cause of stomach ulcers." Scientific Discovery
"The debater managed to refute her opponent's key premise by introducing freshly published census data." Debate Strategy

Memory hook

RE-FUTE is to RE-FUSE to accept a claim by beating it down with FACTS. Knock back a false argument with decisive proof.

When not to use

Do not use as a simple synonym for 'deny', 'rebut', or 'disagree'. You only refute something if you successfully disprove it.

Fun facts

Style guides for major newspapers like The New York Times explicitly remind journalists not to write 'he refuted the charges' when they mean 'he denied the charges'!