rebuttal

noun

re·​but·​tal ri-ˈbə-tᵊl 

: the act of rebutting especially in a legal suit

also : argument or proof that rebuts

Synonyms of rebuttal

• refutation

Examples of rebuttal in a Sentence

an effective rebuttal to her claim of having the gift of clairvoyance

Recent Examples on the Web

According to some editors, a rebuttal by a person or institution criticized in an editorial gets top priority. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026

When Democrats came out swinging, Kennedy became more defiant, even at times screaming his rebuttals — though some of them didn’t align with the facts. —ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026

That’s a potentially troubling sign for the Royals when the team captain offers a rebuttal on social media to something said by the manager. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2026

Meanwhile, Livesey’s arguments have been met with respectful—and, to this amateur reader, persuasive—rebuttals by several fellow-scholars, most formidably by Fredriksen and Walsh. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rebuttal

• cuttle
• scuttle
• shtetl
• shuttle
• subtle
• suttle

Kids Definition

rebuttal

noun

re·​but·​tal ri-ˈbət-ᵊl 

: the act of rebutting

also : argument or proof that rebuts

Legal Definition

rebuttal

noun

re·​but·​tal ri-ˈbət-ᵊl 

: the act or procedure of rebutting

also : evidence or argument that rebuts