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Confuting: meaning, definitions and examples

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confuting

 

[ kənˈfjuːtɪŋ ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

debate, argument

To confute means to prove a person or argument to be wrong or mistaken. It is often used in the context of countering a claim or refuting a theory. The action of confuting typically involves presenting evidence that contradicts the other position.

Synonyms

challenge, counter, disprove, invalidate, refute.

Examples of usage

  • The scientist confuted the previous study's findings with new data.
  • He was quick to confute her arguments during the debate.
  • The author confutes the critics by offering substantial evidence.
  • They tried to confute the allegations with documented proof.

Translations

Translations of the word "confuting" in other languages:

🇵🇹 refutação

🇮🇳 खंडन

🇩🇪 Widerlegung

🇮🇩 penyangkalan

🇺🇦 спростування

🇵🇱 obalenie

🇯🇵 反証

🇫🇷 réfutation

🇪🇸 refutación

🇹🇷 çürütme

🇰🇷 반증

🇸🇦 دحض

🇨🇿 vyvrácení

🇸🇰 vyvrátenie

🇨🇳 反驳

🇸🇮 oporekanje

🇮🇸 andmæli

🇰🇿 жоққа шығару

🇬🇪 გარდა

🇦🇿 təkzib

🇲🇽 refutación

Etymology

The term 'confute' derives from Middle English, stemming from the Latin 'confutare', which means 'to strike down' or 'to disprove'. The Latin components can be broken down into 'con-', meaning 'altogether', and 'futare', related to 'to beat' or 'to strike'. This etymology reflects the idea of striking down an argument or position decisively. Over time, the usage of 'confute' has evolved but has maintained its core meaning of disproving or refuting erroneous claims. Initially utilized in philosophical and theological debates, the word became more broadly applied in legal and academic contexts as the need for logical argumentation grew, particularly during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods when rigorous debating became prominent.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #38,097, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.