validity

noun

va·​lid·​i·​ty və-ˈli-də-tē 

va-

: the quality or state of being valid: such as

a

: the state of being acceptable according to the law

The validity of the contract is being questioned.

What the federal courts have ruled … is that renunciations made behind barbed wire were essentially under duress, and thus of no legal validity.

—Roger Daniels

b

: the quality of being well-grounded, sound, or correct

the validity of an argument/theory

Other researchers have questioned the validity of the test results.

Later he acknowledged that there was no validity to his report.

—David Hiltbrand

Examples of validity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s validity to this statement. —Zach Berman, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026

Public officials don’t always examine the validity of health claims, according to Rule. —Anna Clark, ProPublica, 24 Apr. 2026

Posey, who has caught more than 10,000 innings, doesn’t outright reject the validity of the Marlins’ system. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026

Democrats are on track to gain 10 seats nationally through redistricting compared with Republicans’ nine — though the final outcome of a court battle in Virginia over the referendum’s validity could move Democrats back to six. —Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1577, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for validity

• acidity
• aridity
• avidity
• cupidity
• fluidity
• humidity
• liquidity
• lucidity
• morbidity
• placidity
• rancidity
• rapidity

Kids Definition

validity

noun

va·​lid·​i·​ty

və-ˈlid-ət-ē, 

va-

: the quality or state of being valid