counterexample

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

How to pronounce counterexample (audio)

\

Definition of counterexample

: an example that refutes or disproves a proposition or theory

Examples of counterexample in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But supporters of broader reforms have a powerful counterexample: California. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Senators propose near-total ban on worker noncompete agreements," 17 Oct. 2019 Crime waves are often linked to economic downturns, but this hypothesis is gainsaid by counterexamples, such as the relatively low crime rates during the 1930s depression and the 2008–2010 recession. — Michael Shermer, Scientific American, "The Singular of “Data” Is Not “Anecdote”," 1 Nov. 2018 Theorem-proving packages such as Microsoft’s Z3 can verify certain types of statements or quickly find a counterexample that shows a statement is false. — Quanta Magazine, "In Computers We Trust?," 22 Feb. 2013 Sally and Thang were the de facto counterexamples in the trial. — New York Times, "Where Does Affirmative Action Leave Asian-Americans?," 30 Aug. 2019 The counterexamples are famous, of course, running from Altamont (the late ’69 Rolling Stones show marked by murder and overdoses) to Fyre (the 2017 hype fraud in the Bahamas). — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Why Woodstock Can Never Happen Again," 6 Aug. 2019 Proofs, examples, counterexamples and conjectures were all gone. — Quanta Magazine, "A Mathematician Who Dances to the Joys and Sorrows of Discovery," 20 Nov. 2017 By Douglas Rushkoff Norton, 243 pages, $23.95 The book, indeed, rarely pauses to consider pesky counterexamples to such grand claims. — Steven Poole, WSJ, "‘Team Human’ Review: Users of the World, Unite!," 25 Jan. 2019 But for every example of democracy fading out or finding itself under attack, there are counterexamples of democracy and democratic activists moving forward and finding solutions. — James Stavridis, Time, "Democracy Isn't Perfect, But It Will Still Prevail," 12 July 2018

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about counterexample

Dictionary Entries near counterexample

counterespionage

counterevidence

counterexposition

Statistics for counterexample

Cite this Entry

“Counterexample.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterexample. Accessed 20 January 2020.

WORD OF THE DAY

dauntless

not to be intimidated or subdued

Test Your Vocabulary

The Eponym Quiz

Which is the best synonym of bowdlerize?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.