counterexample

noun

coun·​ter·​ex·​am·​ple ˈkau̇n-tər-ig-ˌzam-pəl How to pronounce counterexample (audio)
: an example that refutes or disproves a proposition or theory

Examples of counterexample in a Sentence

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.
Desert Storm: Airpower Was Decisive Pundits who dismiss airpower’s effectiveness often ignore perhaps the clearest counterexample—Operation Desert Storm (1991). David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025 Around the world, there is not one clear counterexample — of a country that has accepted large numbers of newcomers while marginalizing the far right and reducing inequality. Robert Petkoff Krish Seenivasan Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025 For starters, there’s the glaring counterexample in Cleveland. John Hollinger, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025 Accordingly, he was described by abolitionists in his time as a living counterexample to claims by supporters of slavery that enslaved people lacked the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens. New Atlas, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for counterexample

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterexample was in 1809

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Cite this Entry

“Counterexample.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterexample. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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