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.
Lucid dreaming provides a counterexample. Rachel Barr, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025 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 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 Emmanuel Macron’s political conquests have, however, provided a contemporary counterexample to provincial defeat in the big city, perhaps serving as inspiration to his grand-nephew-in-law Jean-Baptiste Trogneux. Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 19 May 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 5 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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