refuter


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re·fute

 (rĭ-fyo͞ot′)
tr.v. re·fut·ed, re·fut·ing, re·futes
1. To prove to be false or erroneous; overthrow by argument or proof: refute testimony.
2. To deny the accuracy or truth of: refuted the results of the poll.
3. Usage Problem To repudiate.

[Latin refūtāre; see bhau- in Indo-European roots.]

re·fut′a·bil′i·ty (rĭ-fyo͞o′tə-bĭl′ĭ-tē, rĕf′yə-tə-) n.
re·fut′a·ble (rĭ-fyo͞o′tə-bəl, rĕf′yə-tə-) adj.
re·fut′a·bly adv.
re·fut′er n.
Usage Note: Traditionally, the verb refute has two meanings. The first is "to prove to be false or erroneous," as in Charges of institutional bias against women were refuted by an analysis of the employment data. In this example, it is clear that an argument was mustered to demonstrate the falsity of the charges. This usage is well established as standard. The second meaning is "to deny the accuracy of," and in this use there is no mention or implication of mustering evidence or detailed reasoning. Rather, the refutation exists as a simple statement or claim. This second use has been criticized as incorrect or inappropriate since the early 1900s, despite being common. A majority of the Usage Panel accepts the use as a synonym of deny, but not by a wide margin. In our 2002 survey, 62 percent accepted the example In the press conference, the senator categorically refuted the charges of malfeasance but declined to go into details. This suggests that many readers are uncomfortable with this usage and would prefer to see deny in these contexts. Beyond these two meanings, refute is sometimes used to mean "to deny the validity of, repudiate," as in Observers are expecting the appeals court to refute the Microsoft breakup. The Panel has scant affection for this usage. Some 89 percent rejected the example just quoted in the 2002 survey.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.refuter - a debater who refutes or disproves by offering contrary evidence or argument
arguer, debater - someone who engages in debate
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
References in periodicals archive ?
This similarity culminated in the view that the refuter was also defined as a sophist, albeit a "noble" one.
Force est de souligner que Bank Al Maghrib n'a pas tarde a refuter ce rapport en notant que les provisions couvrent largement les risques, que les impayes se sont stabilises, les credits sont moins concentres et les capitaux propres depassent suffisamment les ratios prudentiels.
An Israeli tank struck Syrian territory in Quneitra, near the Golan Heights border, Syrian state news agency SANA said on Monday, without providing refuter details.
Afin que cette definition soit valable, dit le protagoniste du dialogue, il faut refuter Parmenide, car to [phrase omitted], pour Parmenide, relevent du non-etre ...
En raturant la theorie mimetique, nous ne souhaitons donc pas la mettre a mal, encore moins la refuter, mais mettre au jour les fondements philosophiques du tournant levinassien de Rene Girard (5), en montrant pourquoi Girard s'est trouve face a la necessite--tout comme Levinas (Levinas, 1961) et Marion--de depasser la metaphysique de la presence et de l'objet.
On trouve dans une autre piece de Shakespeare, Troilus et Cressida, un autre exemple de cet art supreme du double langage : s'il ne peut veritablement refuter le prejuge populaire de l'epoque qui oppose le fidele Troilus a l'inconstante Cressida (sorte d'Helene a rebours), il multiplie cependant, a l'intention des happy fews, les strategies de deconstruction de ce prejuge sexiste (78).
Par exemple, dans le cadre d'une rencontre conjointe oU le politique et l'administratif se cotoient, cette interface, qui permet aux differents emetteurs de refuter les propos de leurs collegues, concourra a reveler une plus grande quantite d'informations.
J'ai voulu, come je le disais en commencant, montrer que les principes sur lesquels se fonde la these de l'italianite sont demeures identiques depuis Castiglione et Trissino, qui les decouvrirent, jusqu'a Cesarotti, Monti, Foscolo, Leopardi, qui, les ayant adoptes, les habillerent au gout du jour; que, faux au XVIe siecle, dans une Italie linguistiquement divisee, ils etaient faux au XIXe, lorsque Manzoni, afin de ruiner une these qui mettait obstacle a l'achevement de l'unite en la declarant faite, entreprit de les refuter. (34) Alla studiosa (e ai lettori moderni) resta da domandarsi se la dimostrazione sia stata convincente, se effettivamente L-J sia riuscita a provare che la questione della lingua, al suo (e al nostro) tempo, e definitivamente chiusa:
Dans Shafron c KRG Insurance Brokers (Western) (ci-apres <<Shafron>>), la Cour supreme du Canada a precise qu'une clause restrictive ambigue est par definition deraisonnable et, de ce fait, inapplicable, sauf si la partie qui cherche a s'en prevaloir parvient a refuter cette presomption (38).