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

However, the person who negotiated on Panama's behalf did not have formal consent from the nation's government and had not lived in the country for 17 years, causing many Panamanians to question the treaty's validity, according to the Office of the Historian. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 26 Dec. 2024

The Department of Justice continues to defend the CTA, emphasizing its constitutional validity as supported by rulings from the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia and the District of Oregon. —Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024

Though some fans continue to debate its validity as a Christmas movie, Die Hard is seen as a festive favorite, with 10 percent of those polled naming it among the best. —Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024

Starr’s remark, in late November, gave some validity to the Keoghan rumors, but another source told Rolling Stone that there still were no deals with any actors. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1577, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

validity

noun

va·​lid·​i·​ty

və-ˈlid-ət-ē,

va-

: the quality or state of being valid