disproven
Demonstrated to be wrong
Disproven is the past participle of disprove, meaning shown to be false or invalid.
A theory is disproven when evidence contradicts it: The hypothesis was disproven by subsequent experiments.
Disproved is equally correct and more common in formal writing, but disproven appears frequently in speech and casual prose.
Exposed as fraudulent
- falsifiedMade deliberately inaccurate
- refutedProved an argument false
- rebuttedContradicted with evidence
- contradictedOpposed a statement
discredited · invalidated · countered · negated · overturned · challenged · undermined · impugned
Not in accordance with fact
- falseNot matching reality
- erroneousContaining factual mistakes
- incorrectNot accurate or true
- inaccurateNot correct or precise
mistaken · fallacious · spurious · unfounded · baseless · groundless · unsubstantiated · unsupported
Testable proposed explanation
- theoryExplanatory set of principles
- claimStatement of ownership or truth
- assertionConfident statement of fact
- assumptionUnverified belief accepted as true
conjecture · premise · postulate · retracted · superseded · outdated · obsolete · pseudoscience
Unverified traditional tale
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- fableMoral tale with animals
- superstitionBaseless belief in omens
- old wives' taleUnfounded traditional belief
urban legend · misconception · misbelief · tall tale · mythology · apocryphal · fictitious · mythical
debunked
Exposed as fraudulent
- falsifiedMade deliberately inaccurate
- refutedProved an argument false
- rebuttedContradicted with evidence
contradicted · discredited · invalidated · countered · negated · overturned · challenged · undermined · impugned · quashed
untrue
Not in accordance with fact
inaccurate · mistaken · fallacious · spurious · unfounded · baseless · groundless · unsubstantiated · unsupported · bogus
hypothesis
Testable proposed explanation
- theoryExplanatory set of principles
- claimStatement of ownership or truth
- assertionConfident statement of fact
assumption · conjecture · premise · postulate · retracted · superseded · outdated · obsolete · pseudoscience · quackery
legend
Unverified traditional tale
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- fableMoral tale with animals
- superstitionBaseless belief in omens
old wives' tale · urban legend · misconception · misbelief · tall tale · mythology · apocryphal · fictitious · mythical · imaginary
- logic wordsand, or, not, therefore, ergo
- validityvalid, invalid, true, false, correct
- proof termsevidence, testimony, verification, validation, confirmation
disprovenproven
Established as fact
demonstrated · verified · confirmed · validated · established
disprovencertain
Free from doubt
undisputed · accepted · acknowledged · uncontested · unquestioned