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

Attached was a mathematical formula, a counterexample to the decades-old problem. — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 29 July 2026

On a Sunday afternoon in July, while much of the world watched the World Cup final, a counterexample was found to the Jacobian conjecture, a problem that had resisted proof or disproof since 1939. — Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

The great counterexample is ancient Athens, which was steered by a five-hundred-person council whose members were generally chosen by lot. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

Amazon is the counterexample everyone reaches for — the growth-prioritizing company that famously refused to turn a profit and still won. — Rory McDonald, Fortune, 6 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for counterexample

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