invalid

¹

[ in-vuh-lid ]

noun

1. an infirm or sickly person.
2. a person who is too sick or weak to take care of their own needs:

   My father was an invalid the last ten years of his life.

3. Archaic. a member of the armed forces disabled for active service.

adjective

1. unable to care for oneself due to infirmity or disability:

   his invalid sister.

2. of or for invalids:

   invalid diets.

3. (of things) in poor or weakened condition:

   the invalid state of his rocking chair.

verb (used with object)

1. to affect with disease; make an invalid:

   He was invalided for life.

2. to remove from or classify as not able to perform active service, as an invalid.
3. British. to remove or evacuate (military personnel) from an active theater of operations because of injury or illness.

verb (used without object)

, Archaic.

1. to become an invalid.

invalid

²

[ in-val-id ]

adjective

1. not valid; not founded in truth, fact, or logic, and hence weak and indefensible; unsound; untenable:

   The entire argument depends on an invalid assumption.

   Synonyms: incorrect, inaccurate, false, erroneous, unsubstantiated, unfounded, groundless, baseless

2. deficient in effectiveness; inadequate:

   Self-perception is an invalid method of judging one's own biases.

3. void or without legal force, as a contract:

   Without the grandfather clause, thousands of such warranties would now be invalid. The coupon is invalid in our state.

   Synonyms: null and void

4. not accepted or permitted because a required element or the necessary form is lacking; not usable:

   Anything with fewer than five characters is an invalid password, and you’ll get an error message prompting you to pick something more secure.

invalid

¹

/ ˈɪnvəˌliːd; -lɪd /

noun

1. 1. a person suffering from disablement or chronic ill health
   2. ( as modifier )

      an invalid chair

adjective

1. suffering from or disabled by injury, sickness, etc

verb

1. to cause to become an invalid; disable
2. usually foll by out; often passive to require (a member of the armed forces) to retire from active service through wounds or illness

invalid

²

/ ɪnˈvælɪd; ˌɪnvəˈlɪdɪtɪ /

adjective

1. not valid; having no cogency or legal force
2. logic (of an argument) having a conclusion that does not follow from the premises: it may be false when the premises are all true; not valid

Usage

It is best to avoid using the term invalid when referring to people with chronic illnesses or disabilities

Derived Forms

• ˌinvaˈlidity, noun
• invalidity, noun
• inˈvalidly, adverb

Other Words From

• in·val·id·ly adverb
• in·val·id·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of invalid¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from French invalide, from Latin invalidus “weak, feeble, infirm”; See in- ³, valid

Origin of invalid²

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin invalidus “weak, feeble”; invalid ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of invalid¹

C17: from Latin invalidus infirm, from in- ¹+ validus strong

Origin of invalid²

C16: from Medieval Latin invalidus without legal force; see invalid ¹

Example Sentences

A “complex woman”, Mrs Spencer had once aspired to the stage herself, but – according to her daughter - “just gave up on life... and decided she was an invalid at the age of 40”.

From BBC

The appellate panel said the group provided a “limited factual basis” and even if its claims were true, the number of alleged invalid votes was “so exceedingly minute as to have no measurable impact on the fundamental fairness or integrity of California’s elections.”

From Los Angeles Times

In a sequence of rulings, Carter had found that the VA had a fiduciary duty to use the land for veterans housing and that the leases were invalid because they did not primarily serve veterans.

From Los Angeles Times

Two Georgia courts have already ruled that the state election board’s new rules are invalid.

From Los Angeles Times

Sam Williamson, 22, from Glossop, has been threatened with prosecution by Northern after he mistakenly bought an invalid £3.65 ticket from Broadbottom to Manchester using his 16-25 railcard last Thursday.

From BBC

Related Words

• baseless
• false
• inoperative
• irrational
• null
• unfounded
• unreasonable
• unscientific
• unsound
• untrue