Refute means to prove a claim is wrong, usually with evidence or argument. Reject means to refuse or turn something down, whether or not you can prove it's false. If you can back up your objection with facts, you're refuting it; if you're simply saying no, you're rejecting it.
The core difference
Refuting proves something false; rejecting refuses it, no proof needed.
- refute — prove that a claim or argument is false or wrong: The scientist refuted the theory with new experimental data.
- reject — refuse to accept, believe, or agree to something: The publisher rejected the manuscript after only one read.
How to tell them apart
A useful test: could you follow the word with evidence? "She refuted the claim by showing the data was wrong" works, because refuting is an act of proof. "She rejected the claim by showing..." sounds odd, because rejecting is simply a decision not to accept something — no demonstration required.
The mix-up usually shows up in debates and reviews, where people say a claim was "refuted" when it was really just dismissed. If nobody offered evidence, reject (or a milder word like "dispute") is the more accurate choice.
