refutable
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
refute /rɪˈfjuːt/
▶verb
- 1 prove (a statement or the person advancing it) to be wrong.
- 2 deny (a statement or accusation).
– derivatives
refutable adjective,
refutal noun,
refutation /rɛfjʊˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ noun,
refuter noun.
refutable adjective,
refutal noun,
refutation /rɛfjʊˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ noun,
refuter noun.
– origin C16: from L. refutare ‘repel, rebut’.
usage: The core meaning of refute is ‘prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong’. From this a more general sense has developed, meaning ‘deny’, as in I absolutely refute the charges made against me. Traditionalists object to the second use, but it is now widely accepted in standard English.
'refutable' also found in these Oxford entries:
