Standard Lemma guide

counterexample

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An example that counters a general rule; an exception to a general rule; a specific instance of the falsity of (and falsifiability of) any proposed universal applicability of a rule or statement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, logic, mathematics, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

refutation by example

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disproof, falsification, refutation

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *komterosder. Proto-Italic *komterād Latin contrāder. Old French contre- Anglo-Norman countre-bor. Middle English counter- English counter- English example English counterexample From counter- + example.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: контрпры́клад (kontrprýklad) — instance of the falsity
  • Bulgarian: контраприме́р (kontraprimér) — instance of the falsity
  • Chinese Mandarin: 反例 (fǎnlì) — instance of the falsity
  • Czech: protipříklad — instance of the falsity
  • Dutch: tegenvoorbeeld — instance of the falsity
  • Esperanto: kontraŭekzemplo — instance of the falsity
  • Finnish: vastaesimerkki — instance of the falsity
  • French: contrexemple — instance of the falsity
  • West-Frisian: tsjinfoarbyld — instance of the falsity
  • German: Gegenbeispiel — instance of the falsity
  • Greek: αντιπαράδειγμα (antiparádeigma) — instance of the falsity
  • Italian: controesempio — instance of the falsity
  • Japanese: 反例 (hanrei) — instance of the falsity
  • Korean: 반례 (ballye) — instance of the falsity
  • Korean: 반증 (banjeung) — instance of the falsity
  • Macedonian: противпример (protivprimer) — instance of the falsity
  • Polish: kontrprzykład — instance of the falsity
  • Romanian: contraexemplu — instance of the falsity
  • Russian: контрприме́р (kontrprimér) — instance of the falsity
  • Slovak: protipríklad — instance of the falsity
  • Spanish: antiejemplo — instance of the falsity
  • Swedish: motexempel — instance of the falsity
  • Ukrainian: контрпри́клад (kontrprýklad) — instance of the falsity