rebut

verb

re·​but ri-ˈbət How to pronounce rebut (audio)
rebutted; rebutting

transitive verb

1
: to drive or beat back : repel
2
a
: to contradict or oppose by formal legal argument, plea, or countervailing proof
b
: to expose the falsity of : refute

intransitive verb

: to make or furnish an answer or counter proof
rebuttable adjective

Did you know?

The -but in rebut once meant basically "butt", so rebut's original meanings were "to drive or beat back" and "to attack with violent language". Rebuttals can still be rather violent, as anyone who has watched some heated moments in a presidential debate can testify. The word is often used by lawyers, since the lawyer for the accused or for the party being sued almost always tries to rebut the charges against his or her client; but it's also used in plenty of contexts outside the courtroom.

Examples of rebut in a Sentence

Her lawyer attempted to rebut the witness's testimony. Stalingrad's defenders were finally able to rebut the besiegers, but only after a horrendous loss of life.
Recent Examples on the Web In what would project as a high-scoring, back-and-forth contest, Allen drives down the field for a game-winning score, leaving no time on the clock for Prescott to rebut. Elizabeth Flores, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024 The Premier League said that Everton’s 10-point penalty, handed down by an independent review panel, had been reduced because the club had successfully rebutted two of the nine justifications underpinning the original deduction. Tariq Panja, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 The Torrance Refinery Action Alliance organized the rally and argued that safer alternatives exist, and that many of the refineries in California no longer use hydrofluoric acid. PBF Energy, which purchased the refinery in 2016, issued a statement Saturday rebutting the activists’ accusations. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Or sharing information rebutting the absurd Taylor Swift Super Bowl conspiracy theories? Oliver Darcy, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024 More states need to be prepared to rebut such misleading and ideologically motivated attacks. John Tillman, National Review, 6 Feb. 2024 This version rebutted several of the league’s previous claims and questioned the legality of the ACC’s complaint. Mark Long, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 Her family rebutted that everyone in Diallo’s life could vouch that the Dolezals were indeed her parents, and her grandparents were even present for her birth. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 On Tuesday his attorney, Abbe Lowell, filed a series of court papers after special counsel David Weiss earlier this month rebutted his efforts to dismiss the gun charges. Will Steakin, ABC News, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rebut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French reboter, from re- + boter to butt — more at butt entry 3

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rebut was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rebut

Cite this Entry

“Rebut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebut. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rebut

verb
re·​but ri-ˈbət How to pronounce rebut (audio)
rebutted; rebutting
1
: to oppose by argument
2
: to prove to be wrong especially by argument or by proof that the opposite is true

Legal Definition

rebut

transitive verb
re·​but ri-ˈbət How to pronounce rebut (audio)
rebutted; rebutting
: to refute, counteract, or disprove (as opposing evidence) by evidence or argument
rebut damaging testimony
rebut a presumption
rebuttable adjective
rebuttably adverb
Etymology

Anglo-French reboter rebuter to answer a charge, bar from an action, literally, to repulse, rebuff, from Old French reboter, from re- back + boter to push, butt

More from Merriam-Webster on rebut

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