invalidate
Americanverb
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to render weak or ineffective, as an argument
-
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.
See Examples For:
The California Office of Administrative Law green-lit the rules in February, and they were set to go into effect on April 1, but in March, the California Gaming Assn. filed a suit to invalidate them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
That’s not accurate, and the court ruled to invalidate the measure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
"They hate me. But they cannot invalidate the information I give."
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
If the defendant does so, the SEC can invalidate any settlement and reopen the case.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 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
The stop is quite clear with any close below the 200-day simple moving average at $245 invalidates the bullish thesis.
From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026
Mr Gentles says that ageing the rum before it is sold is of paramount importance, and that doing so outside of Jamaica invalidates the products authenticity and uniqueness.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2025
“Telling someone to look on the bright side or saying, ‘At least you have this,’ invalidates people’s grieving process, and people need to grieve,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025
The 39-page ruling invalidates the Payday Lending Rule, which became effective in 2018.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 19, 2022
However, just this was Luther's contention, that Christ is our Mediator also according to His divine nature, and that the denial of this truth both invalidates His satisfaction and divides His person.
From Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church by Bente, F. (Friedrich)
The ruling invalidated a law spearheaded by environmental justice activists that barred new oil and gas extraction and required that all existing operations stop production within 20 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
However, this structure was invalidated following the break of the short-term uptrend line earlier this week.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
However, in response to a shareholder lawsuit, the Delaware Chancery Court invalidated the options package in 2024.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026
The court has invalidated far less novel exercises of government power on precisely those grounds.
From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2026
The ruling invalidated Walter’s conviction and death sentence.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Lifting the "do not travel" advice means that people travelling to the UAE will no longer risk invalidating their travel insurance.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
This isn’t uncommon for people who are grieving, but there are ways to encourage her toward action without crossing boundaries or invalidating her experience.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 25, 2026
Department of Veterans Affairs to build more than 2,500 units of housing on its West Los Angeles campus and invalidating a prestigious private school’s lease there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
A Norwegian appeals court on Friday upheld a lower court's ruling invalidating three oil permits in the major crude producer for insufficient environmental-impact studies, in a new victory for climate campaigners.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025
Thomas winced; Frypan had gone too far with that recommendation, almost invalidating his well-stated opinion of the whole mess.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
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.
