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Synonym Chooser

How is the word valid different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of valid are cogent, convincing, sound, and telling. While all these words mean "having such force as to compel serious attention and usually acceptance," valid implies being supported by objective truth or generally accepted authority.

a valid reason for being absent
a valid marriage

When might cogent be a better fit than valid?

While in some cases nearly identical to valid, cogent may stress either weight of sound argument and evidence or lucidity of presentation.

the prosecutor's cogent summation won over the jury

When is convincing a more appropriate choice than valid?

Although the words convincing and valid have much in common, convincing suggests a power to overcome doubt, opposition, or reluctance to accept.

a convincing argument for welfare reform

In what contexts can sound take the place of valid?

While the synonyms sound and valid are close in meaning, sound implies a basis of flawless reasoning or of solid grounds.

a sound proposal for reviving the economy

Where would telling be a reasonable alternative to valid?

The words telling and valid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, telling stresses an immediate and crucial effect striking at the heart of a matter.

a telling example of bureaucratic waste

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of valid Jewish audiences often come in with grief and recognition, while other audiences bring their own traumas – different, but equally valid. Eitan Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025 The shop card will be emailed within two weeks of successful enrollment, and both deals are valid only for the first year of membership. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2025 Offer valid July 22, 2025, through September 2, 2025. Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025 More Photo by James Gasperotti/Getty Images Despite the poor results, Wolff still believes that Hamilton made a valid decision. Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for valid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for valid
Adjective
  • Searching for a logical progression from The Office and like-minded comedies, so far The Paper has come up with a strange, often funny hybrid, with characters experiencing Parks and Rec idealism and Office-style fluorescent-light tedium simultaneously and sometimes incoherently.
    Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Without a body to put to rest, even when there is no other logical conclusion than death, people can imagine and cling to the most improbable of alternatives.
    Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • As the morning goes on, the turnaround points will move closer to the ends of the bridge, so walkers need to keep up a reasonable pace.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Consider the Nortiv 8 Men’s Low Waterproof Hiking Shoe, now on sale for a reasonable $40.
    Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • But the partnership’s work on emerging Pillar 2 technologies is less coherent than AUKUS plans for Australian nuclear submarines.
    GARY ROUGHEAD, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Because the friction caused by waves that slightly interfere is slightly less stable than the coherent state when waves seamlessly add up.
    Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • So there is no logic or any rational decisions made.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The appellate court had held that the INS could not rely on these immigration sweeps but, rather, needed to articulate objective facts and rational inferences to support a reasonable suspicion that each person detained is undocumented.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • All of the cats who tested this litter adjusted to it quickly and easily — some even had a little play date in their box, kicking and scratching, which is a good sign!
    Kayla Blanton, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Leisure’s best new hotels of 2021, Wander the Resort offers 10 luxurious glass-and-timber cabins along the quiet northern shores of West Lake.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The decision to have Keith Andrews succeed Thomas Frank as head coach is a sensible one.
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • This can, at first glance, appear sensible to an organization mired in firefighting, where every day reveals another problem.
    Nelson P. Repenning, Time, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Valid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/valid. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on valid

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