incontrovertible

adjective

in·​con·​tro·​vert·​ible (ˌ)in-ˌkän-trə-ˈvər-tə-bəl How to pronounce incontrovertible (audio)
: not open to question : indisputable
incontrovertible facts
incontrovertibly adverb

Did you know?

If something is indisputable, it's incontrovertible. But if it is open to question, is it controvertible? It sure is. The antonyms controvertible and incontrovertible are both derivatives of the verb controvert (meaning "to dispute or oppose by reasoning"), which is itself a spin-off of controversy. And what is the source of all of these controversial terms? The Latin adjective controversus, which literally means "turned against."

Examples of incontrovertible in a Sentence

incontrovertible facts that left the jury with no choice but to convict
Recent Examples on the Web The world had incontrovertible proof of light’s waviness. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2023 Getty Images The covid-19 pandemic would be a wake-up call for America, advocates for the elderly predicted: incontrovertible proof that the nation wasn’t doing enough to care for vulnerable older adults. Judith Graham, Fortune Well, 10 Feb. 2024 Since late 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has refused to clear shipments from Cambodia without incontrovertible evidence that the animals were genuinely bred in captivity. Erika Fry, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2024 That is an incontrovertible fact, Mark Barabak writes in his column. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2023 In the popular perception of the typical white-collar case, a judicious government prosecutes a mendacious executive on a mountain of incontrovertible evidence. Charles Gasparino, WSJ, 17 Dec. 2023 Despite the bluster of the Republican candidates, the incontrovertible fact remains that anthropogenic climate change is real. David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023 But on Friday, when Microsoft closed its blockbuster $69 billion acquisition of the video game publisher Activision Blizzard after beating back a federal government challenge, the message sent by the merger’s completion was incontrovertible: Big Tech can still get bigger. David McCabe, New York Times, 25 July 2023 Would that all exhibition wall texts were so sensible, succinct, and incontrovertible. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incontrovertible.' 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

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of incontrovertible was in 1646

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near incontrovertible

Cite this Entry

“Incontrovertible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incontrovertible. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

incontrovertible

adjective
in·​con·​tro·​vert·​ible (ˌ)in-ˌkän-trə-ˈvərt-ə-bəl How to pronounce incontrovertible (audio)
: indisputable
incontrovertible evidence
incontrovertibly adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!