disprove
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to prove (an assertion, claim, etc.) to be false or wrong; refute; invalidate.
I disproved his claim.
- Synonyms:
- confute, negate, contradict, discredit
verb
-
(tr) to show (an assertion, claim, etc) to be incorrect
Other Word Forms
- disprovable adjective
- disproval noun
- disprover noun
- undisprovable adjective
- undisproved adjective
Etymology
Origin of disprove
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French desprover, equivalent to des- dis- 1 ( def. ) + prover prove
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Private-credit managers are trying to disprove a negative—and it has created the biggest upheaval for the $1 trillion market since it came on the scene after the financial crisis.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
He added that software companies right now have no way to disprove the thesis of disruption because that thesis is that the disruption will come in a few years, rather than now.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026
FBI data alone cannot prove or disprove the claim that crime is at a 125-year low because, as he points out, it only started publishing statistics in 1930, and only consistently after 1960.
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026
Stern explained how this is a bittersweet moment for immigration activists, who relied heavily on McLaughlin’s outlandish statements to disprove DHS lies in court.
From Slate • Feb. 19, 2026
“Him and a lot of guys before him. But he proved it in new ways. Mostly to disprove it, I think, but still, yep. That’s what he meant.”
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.