infirmées

Infirmées is the feminine plural past participle form of the French verb infirmer, meaning to invalidate, refute, or undermine a claim, argument, or proposition. In usage, infirmées can function as an adjective or as a passive participle that agrees with a feminine plural subject.

As an adjective or participle, infirmées describes something that has been proven false or disputed by evidence, analysis, or testing. It is commonly found in academic, legal, or scientific writing to indicate that certain conclusions or hypotheses have been invalidated. For example: les conclusions infirmées par les résultats de l’étude; des hypothèses infirmées par les tests. In a sentence with a feminine singular noun, the form would be infirmée (e.g., la théorie infirmée par l’expérience).

Differences with related terms: infirmer is distinct from démentir (to deny) or réfuter (to refute). Infirmer emphasizes the act of weakening or invalidating a claim through contrary evidence, whereas démentir focuses on denial and réfuter on logical or evidentiary refutation.

Étymology and form: infirmées derives from infirmer, which itself comes from the notion of making something weaker. The feminine plural ending -ées marks agreement with feminine plural nouns (infirmées); masculine plural would be infirmés, and feminine singular would be infirmée.

Usage notes: infirmées is most appropriate in contexts where a claim, hypothesis, or conclusion has been shown to be invalid or undermined by new data or reasoning. It conveys a sense of adjudication by evidence rather than mere disagreement. Related verbs such as invalider, contester, or réfuter may be used when focusing on different nuances of rejection or disproval.