rebuttal

noun

re·​but·​tal ri-ˈbə-tᵊl How to pronounce rebuttal (audio)
: the act of rebutting especially in a legal suit
also : argument or proof that rebuts

Examples of rebuttal in a Sentence

an effective rebuttal to her claim of having the gift of clairvoyance
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The rebuttal came after Trump said on Thursday that his administration had meetings with Chinese officials regarding trade earlier in the morning. John Liu, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025 That same day, MIT President Sally Kornbluth issued her own rebuttal to the White House. Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025 He’s simply ruled that the government give deportees a chance for a rebuttal in its use of a law invoked only three previous times. David Catanese, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025 Through the years that followed, the commission was subjected to a steady stream of revisionism and rebuttal, carried out first by journalists and politicians and later, perhaps more decisively, by novelists and filmmakers. A.o. Scott, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rebuttal

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rebuttal was in 1830

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rebuttal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebuttal. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

rebuttal

noun
re·​but·​tal ri-ˈbət-ᵊl How to pronounce rebuttal (audio)
: the act of rebutting
also : argument or proof that rebuts

Legal Definition

rebuttal

noun
re·​but·​tal ri-ˈbət-ᵊl How to pronounce rebuttal (audio)
: the act or procedure of rebutting
also : evidence or argument that rebuts

More from Merriam-Webster on rebuttal

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