counterexample

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

Definition of counterexample

:an example that refutes or disproves a proposition or theory

Recent Examples of counterexample from the Web

For comparison, video game consoles usually take an average of three to four years to drop to 50 percent of their original asking price, though many counterexamples can be found on either side of that mean.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "Oculus cuts Rift price for second time this year, now $399 with Touch [Updated]," 10 July 2017
The upcoming wage cut in St. Louis presented a stark counterexample to the increasing minimum wage seen across the country.

— madison park, CNN, "St. Louis minimum wage will drop from $10 to $7.70," 7 July 2017
But providing counterexamples felt distasteful rather than satisfying.

— curtis sittenfeld, The New Yorker, "Show Don’t Tell," 5 June 2017
The great counterexample, which comes up in just about every discussion of the subject, is the growth of Silicon Valley.

— conor dougherty, New York Times, "Signing Away the Right to Get a New Job," 13 May 2017
At the beginning of her article, Weintraub hit upon some of the core problems of many large drug companies and used Genentech as a counterexample.

— aaron rowe, WIRED, "Genentech Debacle Highlights Larger Problems with Pharmaceutical Research," 6 Dec. 2007

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'counterexample.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.