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
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One of the apparent counterexamples is easy to explain, the tearjerker. Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025 The result led Brittenham and Hermiller to an infinite list of other counterexamples, including almost any knot that’s built by winding two strings and gluing. Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 22 Sep. 2025 History offers a counterexample worth remembering. Aron Solomon september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025 Thousands of moves have nonetheless been enough to break ground on some long-standing counterexamples to the Andrews-Curtis conjecture. Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 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 7 Oct. 2025.

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