A specific case or instance that disproves a general statement or rule by showing an exception to it.
From counter- + example (from Latin exemplum, meaning 'sample' or 'pattern'). A term widely used in mathematics and logic to demonstrate flaws in proposed rules.
In mathematics, finding a counterexample is like being a detective solving a crime—one counterexample can destroy a theory that seemed perfect, like how one gold unicorn would disprove 'all unicorns are silver.'
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