Rebuttal

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈbʌt.əl/

Definitions

1. A formal statement that contradicts or argues against a claim, accusation, or argument previously made by someone else
2. A response that counters or challenges a previously made claim, assertion, or argument by providing opposing evidence or reasoning
3. An argument presented to refute or dismiss a prior assertion, accusation, or claim made by an opponent

Etymology: "Rebuttal" is built from "rebut" plus the suffix "-al", and the two parts have travelled very different routes into English. The verb "rebut" came into English from Old French "rebouter", meaning to push back or drive back, a sense that still lives in its literal force: to thrust an opponent away. The suffix "-al" is older and more widespread, descending from Latin "-alis", which turned nouns and verbs into adjectives and, in many cases, into nouns of action. The suffix reached English through two paths. One ran through Old French "-el" and "-al", the other directly through Middle English "-al", so the same Latin ending appears in English words borrowed from several stages of the language. "Rebuttal" was formed in English by attaching this suffix to the verb, giving a noun for the act of pushing an argument back. The ending is the same one found in "refusal" and "approval", which likewise name an act or its result.

Synonyms: refutation, contradiction, disproof, counterargument, response

Antonyms: agreement, acceptance