rebuttal
UK: rɪˈbʌt(ə)l | US: rɪˈbʌt(ə)l
n. a refutation or contradiction of an argument or accusation
n. the act of rebutting; a response intended to disprove or counter opposing evidence
rebuttal = rebut<to refute> + al<noun suffix>
- rebut: From Old French rebuter ("to repel, reject"), combining re- (back) + buter (to push, strike). The root buter evolved into modern French bouter (to thrust) and English "butt" (to strike).
- al: A noun-forming suffix of Latin origin (-alis), indicating an action or result (e.g., "approval," "denial").
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to medieval legal disputes, where rebuter described the act of repelling an opponent’s claim. Over time, rebut entered English as a verb (16th century), and rebuttal emerged as its nominal form, formalizing the concept of a structured counterargument in debates or courts. The suffix -al solidifies it as a concrete action or result.
The lawyer prepared a strong rebuttal to the prosecutor’s allegations.
Her rebuttal left no room for doubt, dismantling his argument point by point.
The debate team’s rebuttal focused on factual inaccuracies in the opposition’s claims.
He sighed, realizing his rebuttal had only prolonged the heated discussion.
Scientific rebuttals must be backed by peer-reviewed evidence.