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
The Swiss model serves as a noteworthy counterexample to the American system, where methadone and other medications used to treat opioid addiction are guarded by a maze of laws and regulations and typically viewed with skepticism or judgment.
—
Lev Facher, STAT, 26 Mar. 2024
That civilization provides both a counterexample to the notion of man’s impermanence — and a warning.
—Jack Butler, National Review, 31 Dec. 2023
More counterexamples to the converse of Fermat’s little theorem have been found — the next three are 1,105, 1,729 and 2,465.
—Quanta Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023
Ukraine offered a counterexample which suggests that America’s ability to provide allies with not just material support but also intelligence and targeting could be put in service for a cause which seems more morally clear.
—David Marchese David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Of course, gut feeling and a lack of counterexamples don’t constitute a proof.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2023
Despite the Mendelian assumption that genes and mutations often act independently in crafting traits, scientists soon observed several counterexamples.
—C. Brandon Ogbunu, Quanta Magazine, 31 July 2023
The counterexamples did not hold up, suggesting that the conjecture might be correct after all.
—Steve Nadis, Quanta Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
The counterexamples tend to involve technologies that the government effectively built itself, like nuclear power development, which Congress regulated in 1946, one year after the first atomic bombs were detonated.
—Ian Prasad Philbrick, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2023
Lev Facher, STAT, 26 Mar. 2024
That civilization provides both a counterexample to the notion of man’s impermanence — and a warning.
—Jack Butler, National Review, 31 Dec. 2023
More counterexamples to the converse of Fermat’s little theorem have been found — the next three are 1,105, 1,729 and 2,465.
—Quanta Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023
Ukraine offered a counterexample which suggests that America’s ability to provide allies with not just material support but also intelligence and targeting could be put in service for a cause which seems more morally clear.
—David Marchese David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Of course, gut feeling and a lack of counterexamples don’t constitute a proof.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2023
Despite the Mendelian assumption that genes and mutations often act independently in crafting traits, scientists soon observed several counterexamples.
—C. Brandon Ogbunu, Quanta Magazine, 31 July 2023
The counterexamples did not hold up, suggesting that the conjecture might be correct after all.
—Steve Nadis, Quanta Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
The counterexamples tend to involve technologies that the government effectively built itself, like nuclear power development, which Congress regulated in 1946, one year after the first atomic bombs were detonated.
—Ian Prasad Philbrick, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterexample.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1809, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near counterexample
Cite this Entry
“Counterexample.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterexample. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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