-fute, -futable

Pertaining to that which can be proven to be wrong, a mistake, or an error: The defense attorney, Mrs. Anderson, provided the most confutable information in court with respect to her client's innocence of the charges made against him.

Someone who tries to prove that something is misinterpreted or that it is an error: Dr. Small, the scientist, was a well-known confutant when it came to publishing articles about recent so-called scientific discoveries.

1. An assertion or accusation that something is wrong: In an act of confutation, Jack, the witness, pointed to Jane, the accused, and declared that she was not guilty.
2. The process of showing that something is false or illogical or showing that someone has a false, invalid, or illogical argument: Point by point, the defense lawyer, Mr. Lawson, made a confutation of the arguments put forth by the prosecutor.

1. A reference to overwhelming a person in an argument: The teacher, Ms. Ashton, provided the most confutative evidence that Jeffrey had cheated on his examination regardless of how much the parents and the student denied the fact.
2. Descriptive of conclusively proving that something or someone is not accurate: Climate change deniers attempt to argue in a confutative manner that the melting of the icebergs is not because the oceans are warming; however, scientists are presenting more confutative evidence that such conditions are indeed influencing the results.

1. To prove that an assertion or a person is definitely wrong, invalid, or false: Sam tried to confute his mother that she was mistaken when she said that he didn't study enough for his final exam.
2. Etymology: from Middle French confuter, from Latin confutare, "to repress, to check; to disprove, to restrain, to silence"; from com-, "all together" + futare, "to beat, to hit". © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. A person who tries to prove that something or someone is false, untruthful, or has invalid conceptions: The economics professor, Dr. Smart, was a confuter of some promotors who guaranteed great wealth if certain investments were made for the long term.
2. Etymology: from Middle French confuter; from Latin confutare, "to repress, to check; to disprove, to restrain, to silence"; from com-, "with, together" + futare, "to beat, to hit".

1. Relating to an impossibility to prove that an opinion, an argument, or a decision is a mistake: The prosecutor, Mr. Biggs, told the jury at the trial that there was irrefutable evidence that the accused committed the crime as charged.
2. Pertaining to a lack of any proof or logical reason that something or someone is wrong in his or her concepts or behavior: There was irrefutable gossip that Henderson was engaged to Ms. Sue and to another woman, too. © ALL rights are reserved.

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Descriptive of that which cannot be disproved: Dan was arrested for the crime of stealing a computer from Gertrud's apartment because there was irrefutably definite evidence that it belonged to her.

The capability of anything which can be overthrown, disproved by evidence of falseness, or countervailing proof, such as an argument, an opinion, a testimony, a doctrine, or a theory: Although most people think of swans as being just large white birds, the refutability of that perception is clear because there are also black swans.

Referring to something which can be proven as invalid: It is a refutable belief that the earth is flat as indicated by people in the Middle Ages.

The act of proving the falsity or error in a statement, a proposition, or an argument: Dr. Willard, the zoologist, presented a refutation that there are too many whales in the oceans and so there is no justification for killing them for food.

1. Any evidence that helps to establish the falsity of something: Tim, the bank teller, gave strong refutational testimony to the police officer, Mr. Simmons, that the youth seen running away from the bank was the robber.
2. A reference to determining that something is incorrect: Because there was cake frosting on her face, it presented more refutational proof that Tilly was not telling the truth when she denied taking some of it.

1. To prove the incorrectness or falsity of a statement or idea: The lawyer, Mr. Webster, refuted the testimony of the witness against his client, Tim Smith, as being completely untrue.

Greg's employer totally refutes the allegation that he is racially biased.

2. To say that something is neither true nor accurate; to challenge or to contradict: Mike is refuting the notion that he is planning to retire soon.

Shirley refuted the allegations that since she got such a high score that she had cheated on her final exam.

3. Etymology: "refuse, reject", from Latin refutare, "to drive back, to repress, to repel, to rebut"; re-, "back" + -futare, "to beat, to strike down".

A reference to a statement that was not correct or valid because proof was not provided: The refuted statement that Jack, the witness, had written was dismissed as false by the judge.

1. Anyone who asserts or argues that something is untrue or that a person is incorrect or wrong: Manuel, the refuter of the accusations made against him was given an opportunity to present evidence that he had to Mr. Green, the superintendent.
2. Someone who proves the incorrectness or falsity of a statement or idea: The refuters of the accuracy of weather forecasting presented adequate evidence that there were more errors than correct predictions.