disprove

verb

dis·​prove (ˌ)dis-ˈprüv How to pronounce disprove (audio)
disproved; disproven (ˌ)dis-ˈprü-vən How to pronounce disprove (audio) also disproved; disproving; disproves

transitive verb

: to prove to be false or wrong : refute
disprove a theory

Examples of disprove in a Sentence

Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe disproved any lingering notions that the earth is flat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sinners, released on April 18, has just spent a fortnight disproving all of these convenient myths. Ayan Artan, Vogue, 2 May 2025 Chien-Shiung Wu, the First Lady of Physics Jess Romeo May 21, 2021 Chien-Shiung Wu disproved a fundamental law of physics—a stunning achievement that helped earn her male colleagues (but not her) a Nobel Prize. Allison Miller, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2025 The board voted to sustain the profanity finding but determined there was not enough evidence to prove or disprove the other allegations. Kelly Davis, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2025 In 2024, he was ordered to pay $5 million to computer forensics expert Robert Zeidman after making a public pledge to pay that sum to anyone who could disprove his claim that the 2020 election was rigged in Joe Biden's favor. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disprove

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French desprover, from des- dis- + prover to prove

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disprove was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disprove.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disprove. Accessed 15 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

disprove

verb
dis·​prove (ˈ)dis-ˈprüv How to pronounce disprove (audio)
: to prove to be false

More from Merriam-Webster on disprove

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