Definition of refute

The word "refute" has its origins in Latin. The Latin word "refutare" means "to turn back" or "to reverse." In the 15th century, the Latin phrase "refutare argumentum" (to turn back an argument) was translated into English as "to refute." Initially, the word meant "to overthrow an argument or proof by showing its fallacy" or "to reject or disprove a statement by providing evidence or reasoning to the contrary." Over time, the meaning of "refute" expanded to include the sense of disproving or contradicting a claim made by someone else. In English law, "refute" was used in the 16th century to mean "to prove the opposite" or "to prove false." Today, the word "refute" is commonly used in various contexts, including science, philosophy, and everyday conversation, to mean the act of disproving or showing the falsity of an argument, claim, or statement.