refute
to prove false
Roots
- fut / refut: beat back, drive back, or repel an argument
- re-: back, again, or backward motion
Refute means beat back a claim with evidence or reasoning.
The experiment refuted the claim that the effect was random.
Refute is stronger than disagree. A person can disagree by opinion; to refute, you need evidence or reasoning strong enough to drive the claim back.