invalid

1 of 4

adjective (1)

in·​val·​id (ˌ)in-ˈva-ləd 

: not valid:

a

: being without foundation or force in fact, truth, or law

an invalid assumption

declared the will invalid

b

: logically inconsequent

invalidly

(ˌ)in-ˈva-ləd-lē 

adverb

invalid

2 of 4

noun

in·​va·​lid ˈin-və-ləd 

 British usually  -ˌlēd

: one who is sickly or disabled

invalid

3 of 4

verb

in·​va·​lid ˈin-və-ləd 

-ˌlid,

 British usually  -ˌlēd,

 or  ˌin-və-ˈlēd

invalided; invaliding; invalids

transitive verb

1

: to remove from active duty by reason of sickness or disability

2

: to make sickly or disabled

invalid

4 of 4

adjective (2)

in·​va·​lid ˈin-və-ləd 

 British usually  -ˌlēd

1

: affected by disease or disability : sickly

2

: of, relating to, or suited to one that is sick

an invalid chair

Synonyms

Adjective (1)

• bad
• inoperative
• nonbinding
• nonvalid
• nugatory
• null
• null and void
• void

Adjective (2)

• ailing
• sickly
• weakly

Examples of invalid in a Sentence

Noun

Her husband has become an invalid.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

At least 670 of them, Schwartz alleges, are invalid, which means Aldama only has 1,697 signatures, making the candidate ineligible for the ballot this summer. —Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024

The most severe infractions were: LMPD uses excessive force LMPD conducts searches based on invalid warrants, and the department executes search warrants without knocking and announcing LMPD’s street enforcement violates the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. —Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 15 Apr. 2024

State regulators had warned the city that its vote on the tax rate with only four commissioners would be invalid. —Joey Flechas, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024

The prosecutor countered that those objections are invalid, and that the indictment proceeded by the book. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

In 2022, the union won significant concessions on actor exclusivity deals after the Legislature threatened to make such deals invalid. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024

The judge shut her down, saying that the document was invalid. —Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024

Now, both sides are appealing a judge’s ruling, which deemed two of the three petitions invalid. —Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024

On Wednesday, a group of three professors at Tehran University specializing in copyright law, along with four official art experts, rejected the claims as invalid and baseless, clearing Farhadi of all blame. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024

Noun

Concern grew that the fabulous invalid, as the theater has long been dubbed, might be down for the count. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023

As these invalids made their way to Portsmouth, nearly half slipped away, including one who hobbled off on a wooden leg. —David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023

Five hundred invalids from the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, many in their 60s and 70s, were ordered to fill out the ranks. —Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2023

In 1944, Marta’s parents, Rudolf Beck, aged seventy, and Regina, a chronic invalid at sixty-nine, died at Auschwitz. —Andrew O’Hagan, The New York Review of Books, 13 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

Latin invalidus weak, from in- + validus strong — more at valid

Adjective (2)

Latin & French; French invalide, from Latin invalidus

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1542, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1701, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

invalid

1 of 4 adjective

in·​val·​id (ˈ)in-ˈval-əd 

: having no force or effect : not valid

an invalid parking sticker

an invalid assumption

invalidity

ˌin-və-ˈlid-ət-ē

noun

invalidly

(ˈ)in-ˈval-əd-lē 

adverb

invalid

2 of 4 adjective

in·​va·​lid ˈin-və-ləd 

1

: suffering from disease or disability : sickly

2

: of, relating to, or suited to an invalid

invalid

3 of 4 noun

like ²

 

: one who is sickly or disabled

invalid

4 of 4 verb

in·​va·​lid ˈin-və-ləd 

-ˌlid

: to make sickly or disabled

Etymology

Adjective

from earlier invalid "not having a sound basis in fact or reason, not valid," from Latin invalidus "weak"

Adjective

from French invalide "suffering from a disease, sickly," from Latin invalidus "weak"

Medical Definition

invalid

1 of 3 adjective

in·​va·​lid

ˈin-və-ləd, British usually -ˌlēd

1

: affected by disease or disability : sickly

2

: of, relating to, or suited to one that is sick

an invalid chair

invalid

2 of 3 noun

: one who is sickly or disabled

invalid

3 of 3 transitive verb

in·​va·​lid

ˈin-və-ləd, -ˌlid, British usually -ˌlēd or ˌin-və-ˈlēd

1

: to remove from active duty by reason of sickness or disability

was invalided out of the army

2

: to make sickly or disabled

a patient invalided by valvular disease

Legal Definition

invalid

adjective

in·​val·​id in-ˈva-ləd 

: being without force or effect under the law

declared the will invalid

invalidly adverb