disconfirm

[ dis-kuhn-furm ]

verb (used with object)

1. to prove to be invalid.

disconfirm

/ ˌdɪskənˈfɜːm /

verb

1. tr (of a fact or argument) to suggest that a hypothesis is wrong or ill-formulated

Derived Forms

• ˌdisconfirˈmation, noun

Other Words From

• dis·con·fir·ma·tion [dis-kon-fer-, mey, -sh, uh, n, dis-kon-], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of disconfirm¹

First recorded in 1935–40; dis- ¹ + confirm

Example Sentences

If Burrell was seen on the video, it could “only disconfirm” investigators’ theory that he was the killer, the panel wrote.

From Seattle Times

Viral images and video clips documenting protests against racism and brutality have done little to disconfirm that the police are racist and brutal.

From BBC

“We can make observations which will be useful to either confirm or disconfirm the allegations.”

From Reuters

The psychology underlying the Fallacy of Excluded Exceptions is confirmation bias, where once one commits to a belief, the tendency is to look for and find only confirming examples while ignoring those that disconfirm.

From Scientific American

I want to think about it before I confirm it or disconfirm it, but there’s something to that.

From Salon

Related Words

• belie
• confound
• contradict
• discredit
• impugn
• invalidate
• negate
• rebut
• refute