- (transitive)
to prove (a statement, theory, charge, etc) of (a person) to be false or incorrect; disprove
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
re•fute /rɪˈfyut/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], -fut•ed, -fut•ing.
ref•u•ta•tion /ˌrɛfyʊˈteɪʃən/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]Refutation of the charges against him is impossible.[countable]refutations of guilt.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to prove to be false or to be in error:We refuted his accusations.
ref•u•ta•tion /ˌrɛfyʊˈteɪʃən/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]Refutation of the charges against him is impossible.[countable]refutations of guilt.
re•fute
(ri fyo̅o̅t′),USA pronunciation v.t., -fut•ed, -fut•ing.
re•fut•a•ble
(ri fyo̅o̅′tə bəl, ref′yə tə-),USA pronunciation adj.
re•fut′a•bil′i•ty, n.
re•fut′a•bly, adv.
re•fut′er, n.
- to prove to be false or erroneous, as an opinion or charge.
- to prove (a person) to be in error.
- Latin refūtāre to check, suppress, refute, rebut, equivalent. to re- re- + -fūtāre presumably, "to beat'' (attested only with the prefixes con- and re-; compare confute)
- 1505–15;
re•fut′a•bly, adv.
re•fut′er, n.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged disprove, rebut.
- 1, 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged confute.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'refute' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
argue
- belie
- confound
- confute
- controvert
- counter
- counterstatement
- disprove
- elenchus
- explode
- falsify
- ground
- invalidate
- negative
- re-prove
- rebut
- redargue
- refel
- refutation
- refutative
- repugn
- riddle
- shatter
- significant