Rebut and refute - Mixed
messages and misused words from A to Z
Order in the courtroom! Misuse of rebut and refute
may not send you to the slammer, but it’s still nice to know what’s right.
It’s almost criminal how many people use rebut
and refute interchangeably. Most of the time, they really should be
using deny or disagree.
OK, here’s the deal
on rebut and refute.
To rebut a statement means to present a
clear argument against it, aiming to prove it wrong through reason and perhaps logic. To refute goes a step farther, offering actual evidence that proves
one’s case.
The defense attorney’s rebuttal made the jury members think
twice about the defendant’s guilt, until the prosecutor refuted the claim by
revealing the DNA evidence.
Image/s:
Misused word pair
Created by this user
At CoolText
Abused and misused word graphics
adapted from public domain artwork
Feel free to follow on GooglePlus and Twitter. You are also
invited to join this writer's fan
page, as well as the Chicago Etiquette Examiner, Madison Holidays Examiner, Equestrian
Examiner and Madison
Equestrian Examiner on Facebook.
What a great theme for the A to Z, I'm sorry I haven't come by earlier, but glad I found you. I will be back to study some more words.
ReplyDeleteI'm always hearing irrefutable evidence with regard to an officials call being overturned during a football game on tv. Other then that, don't think I've come across that one too often. I'm adding you to my blog log on Traveling Suitcase, just wanted you to know.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments.