incontrovertible

adjective

in·con·tro·vert·ible (ˌ)in-ˌkän-trə-ˈvər-tə-bəl

Synonyms of incontrovertible next

: not open to question : indisputable

incontrovertible facts

incontrovertibly

(ˌ)in-ˌkän-trə-ˈvər-tə-blē

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 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 Depp’s supporters, including podcasters like former Bachelor star Nick Viall and the YouTube and TikTok crowd, saw this as incontrovertible evidence of her guilt. —

Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2023 But in the wake of this weekend’s events, an Afrikaner minority rights group is slated to appeal that verdict in September, arguing that the evidence of Malema’s ethnic incitement was incontrovertible. —

Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2023 What keeps me watching is the incontrovertible fact that these movies are pure soap opera. —

Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2023 The shocking and incontrovertible results decisively dethrone the City of Angels. —

Alyssa Fowers, Washington Post, 2 June 2023 On the surface, this feels like incontrovertible proof of Downton’s historical accuracy. —

Hugh Ryan, Town & Country, 25 May 2022 Nearly 35 years after NASA’s twin Viking robots eased down onto its ruddy surface, there is still no incontrovertible evidence that living organisms ever existed on the fourth planet from the sun. —

Andrew Lawler, Discover Magazine, 22 Nov. 2010 See More

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

See more words from the same year

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near incontrovertible

in control of

incontrovertible

in contumaciam

See More Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

Style

“Incontrovertible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incontrovertible. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Copy Citation