# backfire effect

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The finding that, faced with evidence that contradicts their beliefs, people can reject the evidence and believe even more strongly.

## Etymology
Coined by Brendan Nyhan and Jason Reifler.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/backfire-effect