counterexample

noun

coun·​ter·​ex·​am·​ple ˈkau̇n-tər-ig-ˌzam-pəl 

: an example that refutes or disproves a proposition or theory

Examples of counterexample in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Topline Stocks’ Tuesday bounce concluded a solid stretch of gains heading into the election, securing a historically accurate stock market predictor for a Vice President Kamala Harris victory, though recent counterexamples potentially cloud the prognostication. —Derek Saul, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Nobody yet knows if a counterexample exists in four or five dimensions. —Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 14 May 2024

No nation-state has continuously spanned the thousands of years that a typical Civ game simulates; the closest counterexample might be China, which is playable as three different dynastic forms (plus Mongolia) in this game. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025

Last month, a trio of mathematicians announced a counterexample, disproving the conjecture. —Joseph Howlett, WIRED, 24 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for counterexample

• hippocampal
• ample
• sample
• trample
• example
• subsample