adjective

irrefutable

ir-ih-FYOO-tuh-bul/ˌɪrɪˈfjuːtəbl/

Impossible to disprove or convincingly argue against.

The paint-covered hand against the fresh mark provides irrefutable evidence of contact.

Irrefutable evidence: a man's paint-covered hand is still pressed against a freshly marked white wall while another man points directly to the contact.

Etymology

irLatinnot

+refutLatindrive back, disprove

+ableLatincapable of being

Refutare meant both driving back and disproving: an argument could repel or overthrow a claim. Irrefutable describes a claim that cannot be defeated in this way; the use of refute for merely denying came later.

In context

Real Crime Storys WW 210:31

But the burden of evidence was overwhelming. Countless former inmates reported numerous crimes committed by Greese, providing irrefutable evidence of her ice-cold and sadistic side.

Irma Grese | The Beast of Auschwitz Buchenwald and her heinous atrocities | New documentary 2024

More examples

She presented an irrefutable argument.
The documented dates seemed irrefutable.
He could not ignore the irrefutable proof.

Forms

irrefutable

refute verb — disprove through evidence or argument

Similar words

indisputable: Indisputable cannot reasonably be challenged; irrefutable particularly means unable to be disproved by argument or evidence.
conclusive: Conclusive settles a matter; irrefutable describes the strength against attempted rebuttal.