"an act of rebutting; refutation, contradiction," 1793, from rebut + -al (2). Earlier were rebutment (1590s) and rebutter (1530s, in law).
Entries linking to rebuttal
rebut v.
c. 1300, rebouten, "to thrust back," from Old French reboter, rebuter "to thrust back," from re- "back" (see re-) + boter "to strike, push," from a Germanic source (from Proto-Germanic buttan, from PIE root *bhau- "to strike").
Also in Middle English "assail (someone) with violent language, rebuke" (c. 1300); "repel in battle, repulse" (mid-14c.). The legalese sense of "try to disprove, refute by evidence or argument, bring counter-argument against" is attested by 1817. Related: Rebutted; rebutting.
-al 2
suffix forming nouns of action from verbs, mostly from Latin and French, meaning "act of ______ing" (such as survival, referral), Middle English -aille, from French feminine singular -aille, from Latin -alia, neuter plural of adjective suffix -alis, also used in English as a noun suffix. Nativized in English and used with Germanic verbs (as in bestowal, betrothal).