refutation.

The demonstration that a claim is false or that an argument fails on relevant grounds.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• refutation of a claim
• attempted refutation

On the page

The refutation of the narrow claim depended on a directly contradictory record.

The attempted refutation attacked a position the original argument had not asserted.

Usage notes

Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: counterevidence assessment, argument critique, qualified assertion, formal disagreement. Disciplines: argumentation, research interpretation, social analysis. Commonness: moderately common.