noun · 5 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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Australian, New-Zealand:/ˌɹef.jʊˈtæɪ.ʃən/
Scotland:/ˌɹɛf.jʉˈte.ʃən/
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:R EH2 F Y UW0 T EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An act of refuting or disproving; the disproving of an argument, opinion, testimony, doctrine or theory by argument or countervailing proof; evidence of falseness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
Near-synonyms: rebuttal (see note), counterargument, counterassertion, counterclaim, denial
any evidence that helps to establish the falsity of something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: disproof, falsification
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: evidence, grounds
Narrower terms: reductio ad absurdum, reductio, confutation, counterexample
5
noun
Meaning 5
the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his refutation of the charges was short and persuasive
in defense he said the other man started it
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: defense, defence
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: answer
Narrower terms: confutation, rebuttal
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French refutation (compare French réfutation, Spanish refutación, Portuguese refutação, Italian refutazione) or its etymon Latin refūtātiō, from refūtō + -ātiō. By surface analysis, refute + -ation. First attested in 1536 (in sense 1).
Across languages
Translations
36 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
отхвърляне
(othvǎrljane)
— an act of refuting
Bulgarian:
опровергаване
(oprovergavane)
— an act of refuting
Chinese Mandarin:
反駁 /反驳
(fǎnbó)
— an act of refuting
Chinese Mandarin:
辯駁 /辩驳
(biànbó)
— an act of refuting
Chinese Mandarin:
駁議 /驳议
(bóyì)
— an act of refuting
Czech:
vyvrácení
— an act of refuting
Danish:
gendrivelse
— an act of refuting
Danish:
afkræftelse
— an act of refuting
Dutch:
weerlegging
— an act of refuting
Dutch:
refutatie
— an act of refuting
French:
réfutation
— an act of refuting
West-Frisian:
wjerlizzing
— an act of refuting
German:
Widerlegung
— an act of refuting
German:
Gegenschrift
— an act of refuting
Greek:
ανασκευή
(anaskeví)
— an act of refuting
Greek:
αναίρεση
(anaíresi)
— an act of refuting
Ancient Greek:
ἔλεγχος
(élenkhos)
— an act of refuting
Hindi:
खंडन
(khaṇḍan)
— an act of refuting
Irish:
bréagnú
— an act of refuting
Italian:
refutazione
— an act of refuting
Italian:
confutazione
— an act of refuting
Italian:
contestazione
— an act of refuting
Japanese:
反駁
(hanbaku)
— an act of refuting
Korean:
반박
(banbak)
— an act of refuting
Latin:
refūtātiō
— an act of refuting
Portuguese:
refutação
— an act of refuting
Russian:
опроверже́ние
(oproveržénije)
— an act of refuting
Russian:
рефута́ция
(refutácija)
— an act of refuting
