Confute
/kənˈfjuːt/noun
To prove that a statement or idea is false or wrong.
Did you know?“Confute” comes from Latin roots meaning “to beat together,” a reminder that language once treated argument like a kind of verbal combat.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
confundere
“to pour together, mix up, confuse”
Late Latin
Latin
confutare
“to repress, put down, silence”
Old French
Old French
confuter
“to refute, disprove”
14th Century
English
confuten
“to prove false; to defeat in argument”
Modern English
English
confute
“to prove a claim or argument false”