Doesn't it make you sick the slimy way that members of the present government misuse the word 'refute'?

Question

'Refute' means 'disprove'. Blair and his cohorts and their media allies use it as if it means 'deny' - but its old meaning persists, suggesting that they only have to deny something to disprove it. Yes, I know that the language is always changing, but it is doing so because of dishonesty in this case, and will make a useful distinction harder to grasp.

Answer 1

You are indeed correct if you do not adopt the modern accepted version of refute ,meaning to deny. In a traditionalist sense to refute is to prove your accusers to be wrong.
This whole government and indeed parliament itself is full of people representing their own greed , with little or no concern for the people .

Answer 2

No, their misuse of that word doesn't make me sick. However, everything else about New Labour does.

Answer 3

That's probably the least worrysome of the slimy things they have done.