Bantah

Bantah is a verb in Indonesian and Malay that means to oppose, dispute, or refute a statement, claim, or decision. It conveys an act of challenging or denying something rather than merely expressing disagreement. The related noun bantahan refers to the objection or counter-argument itself, and pembantahan or bantahan can denote a formal rebuttal in writing or speech.

In usage, bantah appears in both informal and formal contexts. Examples include “Saya membantah tuduhan itu” (I refute/oppose the accusation) and “Pihak penuntut mengemukakan bantahan terhadap argumen tersebut” (The challengers/siders raise objections to that argument). In legal or administrative settings, bantah is common in petitions, notices, and debates where a claim or ruling is contested.

Linguistically, bantah is rooted in Indonesian and Malay vocabulary and often forms with prefix memb- to yield membantah, meaning to dispute. The word is closely related to synonyms such as menentang and menyangkal, while its antonyms include setuju, menerima, and mengiyakan. The noun forms bantahan, bantahannya, and pembantahan are used to refer to the act of objecting or the substance of the rebuttal.

Bantah operates across disciplines—from everyday conversation to academic critique and legal proceedings—reflecting the act of challenging ideas, claims, or decisions. Related concepts include debate, argumentation, and refutation, which frame bantah as part of a larger process of evaluation and evidence-based discussion.