invalidate
Americanverb
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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invalidatesimple
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invalidatessimple
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have invalidatedperfect
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has invalidatedperfect
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am invalidatingprogressive
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are invalidatingprogressive
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is invalidatingprogressive
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have been invalidatingperfect progressive
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has been invalidatingperfect progressive
Past
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invalidatedsimple
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had invalidatedperfect
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was invalidatingprogressive
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were invalidatingprogressive
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had been invalidatingperfect progressive
Future
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.
If the defendant does so, the SEC can invalidate any settlement and reopen the case.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026
At that time, Infantino suggested such a move could invalidate a country's World Cup hosting rights.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Even more fundamentally, Jay pointed out that the attorney general’s theory would invalidate Florida’s adoption laws.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
The courts may invalidate specious claims that certain imports threaten national security.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
“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.
