refute

Vocabulary Word

Definition

'Refute' means to disprove or debunk something. It's what you do when you use facts or reasoning to show that an idea or claim is false.

Examples in Different Contexts

In debates over climate change, 'refute' is often used to challenge denialist viewpoints. A scientist could assert, 'Multiple studies refute the notion that climate change isn't man-made.'

Practice Scenarios

Academics

Scenario:

The findings of the recent studies challenge many of our earlier assumptions about memory retention.

Response:

To ensure our work's credibility, we must scrutinize these studies and refute any misleading points.

Science

Scenario:

This new research paper proposes an alternative explanation for the phenomenon we've been studying.

Response:

Let's thoroughly examine this research. If necessary, we should refute the explanation using our data.