refute
1Refute — Re*fute (r?*F3t ), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Refuted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Refuting}.] [F. r[ e]futer, L. refuteare to repel, refute. Cf. {Confute}, {Refuse} to deny.] To disprove and overthrow by argument, evidence, or countervailing proof; to prove to… …
2refute — means ‘to prove (something) false by argument’, and the element ‘by argument’ is important; it should not be used simply as an alternative for deny or repudiate(or in some cases reject or dispute) which imply straightforward rejection without… …
3réfuté — réfuté, ée (ré fu té, tée) part. passé de réfuter. Argument réfuté vingt fois …
4refute — ► VERB 1) prove (a statement or the person advancing it) to be wrong. 2) deny (a statement or accusation). DERIVATIVES refutable adjective refutation noun. USAGE Strictly speaking, refute means ‘prove (a statement) to be wrong’, although it is… …
5refute — I verb abnegate, belie, cancel, confute, contend, contradict, contravene, controvert, crush, debate, defeat, demolish, deny, destroy, disaffirm, disclaim, discredit, dispose of, disprove, explode, falsify, gainsay, impugn, invalidate, negate,… …
6refute — (v.) 1510s, refuse, reject, from L. refutare drive back, repress, repel, rebut, from re back (see RE (Cf. re )) + futare to beat, probably from PIE root *bhat to strike down (Cf. BAT (Cf. bat) (n.1 …
7refute — confute, rebut, *disprove, controvert Analogous words: contradict, impugn, traverse, negative, contravene (see DENY) …
8refute — [v] prove false; discredit abnegate, argue against, blow sky high*, break, burn, burn down, cancel, cancel out, confute, contend, contradict, contravene, convict, counter, crush, debate, demolish, disclaim, disconfirm, dispose of, disprove,… …
9refuté — Refuté, [refut]ée. part …
10refute — [ri fyo͞ot′] vt. refuted, refuting [L refutare, to repel, check: see RE & CONFUTE] 1. to prove (a person) to be wrong; confute 2. to prove (an argument or statement) to be false or wrong, by argument or evidence 3. to deny the truth or validity… …
