Disprove

  • 1disprove — disprove, refute, confute, rebut, controvert mean to show or attempt to show by argument that a statement, a claim, a proposition, or a charge is not true. Disprove stresses the success of an argument in showing the falsity, erroneousness, or… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 2Disprove — Dis*prove , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Disproved}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Disproving}.] [Pref. dis + prove: cf. OF. desprover.] 1. To prove to be false or erroneous; to confute; to refute. [1913 Webster] That false supposition I advanced in order to disprove …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3disprove — [dis pro͞ov′, dis′pro͞ov′; dis′pro͞ov΄] vt. disproved, disproved or disproven, disproving [ME disproven < OFr desprover: see DIS & PROVE] to prove to be false or in error; refute; confute disprovable adj. SYN. DISPROVE implies the presenting… …

    English World dictionary

  • 4disprove — I verb belie, confute, contravene, controvert, counteract, countervail, deny, discredit, dispel, find unfounded, invalidate, negate, nullify, oppugn, prove false, prove the contrary, prove to be wrong, prove to the contrary, rebut, redarguere,… …

    Law dictionary

  • 5disprove — late 14c., from O.Fr. desprover refute, contradict, from des (see DIS (Cf. dis )) + prover (see PROVE (Cf. prove)). Related: Disproved; disproving …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 6disprove — [v] prove false belie, blow sky high*, blow up*, break, confound, confute, contradict, contravene, controvert, deny, disconfirm, discredit, explode, expose, find unfounded, impugn, invalidate, knock bottom out of*, knock props out*, negate,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 7disprove — ► VERB ▪ prove to be false. DERIVATIVES disprovable adjective …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8disprove — UK [dɪsˈpruːv] / US [dɪsˈpruv] verb [transitive] Word forms disprove : present tense I/you/we/they disprove he/she/it disproves present participle disproving past tense disproved past participle disproved to prove that something is not correct or …

    English dictionary

  • 9disprove — [[t]dɪspru͟ːv[/t]] disproves, disproving, disproved, disproven VERB To disprove an idea, belief, or theory means to show that it is not true. [V n] The statistics to prove or disprove his hypothesis will take years to collect. Syn: refute …

    English dictionary

  • 10disprove — transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo French desprover, from des dis + prover to prove Date: 14th century to prove to be false or wrong ; refute < disprove a theory > • disprovable adjective …

    New Collegiate Dictionary