verb
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to render weak or ineffective, as an argument
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to take away the legal force or effectiveness of; annul, as a contract
Other Word Forms
- invalidation noun
- invalidator noun
Etymology
Origin of invalidate
Explanation
If administrators find out that students cheated on a test, the school might invalidate their class grades. To invalidate means to cancel something or make it void, as if it never happened. In invalidate you see the word valid which means true or correct. When you invalidate something you are making it less true, less official, or less correct. If you buy something that doesn't work properly and then try to fix it yourself, you invalidate the warranty. If you have a wacky theory that cars grow from trees, your teacher might invalidate your theory by taking you on a tour of an auto factory.
Vocabulary lists containing invalidate
Red Scarf Girl
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 2
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Far from the Tree
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The courts may invalidate specious claims that certain imports threaten national security.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
This does not invalidate gold or silver as long-term hedges.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026
US District Judge Royce Lamberth endorsed Revolution Wind's request to invalidate the US Interior Department's move to suspend the project off the coast of Rhode Island.
From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026
In 2022, however, the American Journal of Therapeutics, which had published the study, warned that suspicious data “appears to invalidate the findings” regarding ivermectin’s potential to decrease deaths.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2025
“Like, that doesn’t invalidate it, right? Your parents can get divorced and it doesn’t mean anything in the long run.”
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
