widerlegen

Widerleggen is een Nederlands werkwoord meaning to disprove or refute a claim or argument by presenting evidence or reasoning that shows it is incorrect or invalid. The term signals a deliberate process of counter-argumentation rather than merely denying something. It implies that the claimant’s position is examined and opposed with factual data, logic, or counterexamples.

Etymology and usage context: Widerleggen combines the element weer- (against) withleggen (to lay or set forth), and is cognate with the German widerlegen. The word is used in academic writing, journalism, law, and everyday debate. It is applied to scientific hypotheses, political statements, or social claims, whenever a claim is shown to be unsupported or flawed through evidence or analysis.

How it is done: Effective widerleggen relies on concrete support such as empirical data, reproducible results, methodological critique, or counterexamples. It may involve pointing out logical fallacies, highlighting inconsistencies, or demonstrating that prior conclusions do not hold under scrutiny. The goal is not mere skepticism but a substantiated refutation that undermines the original claim.

Usage notes: Widerleggen is transitive and typically takes a direct object, for example, "De bevindingen widerlegden de hypothese." Related terms include weerleggen (to oppose or contradict) and weerlegging (refutation), which refer to the act or result of refuting. The strength of a widerlegging depends on the quality and relevance of the counter-evidence presented.