society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > pleading > maintain by argument in court [verb (transitive)] > rebut or plead in opposition (3)
Law. To plead in opposition to (a declaration, demand, voucher, etc., of the opposite party); to make a counterplea.
transitive. To say or utter by way of retort. Now only with direct speech or that-clause as object.
Chiefly Law. transitive. To refute, disprove, reject (evidence, a charge, an argument, etc.); to provide a counter-argument to.