validity

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val·id

(văl′ĭd)

adj.

1. Well grounded; just: a valid objection.

2. Producing the desired results; efficacious: valid methods.

3. Having legal force; effective or binding: a valid title.

4. Logic

a. Containing premises from which the conclusion may logically be derived: a valid argument.

b. Correctly inferred or deduced from a premise: a valid conclusion.

5. Archaic Of sound health; robust.

[French valide, from Old French, from Latin validus, strong, from valēre, to be strong; see wal- in Indo-European roots.]

va·lid′i·ty, val′id·ness n.

val′id·ly adv.

Synonyms: valid, sound², cogent, convincing
These adjectives describe assertions, arguments, conclusions, reasons, or intellectual processes that are persuasive because they are well founded. What is valid is based on or borne out by truth or fact or has legal force: a valid excuse; a valid claim.
What is sound is free from logical flaws or is based on valid reasoning: a sound theory; sound principles.
Something cogent is both sound and compelling: cogent testimony; a cogent explanation.
Convincing implies the power to dispel doubt or overcome resistance or opposition: convincing proof.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

va•lid•i•ty

(vəˈlɪd ɪ ti)

n.

1. the state or quality of being valid.

2. legal soundness or force.

[1540–50; < Late Latin]

Validity

hold water To be valid, sound, and defensible; to show no inconsistency or deficiency when put to the test. As early as the beginning of the 17th century, this expression was used figuratively of arguments, statements, etc., although both hold and water can be taken literally to describe a vessel or other receptacle’s soundness in retaining a liquid.

Let them produce a more rational account of any other opinion, that will hold water … better than this mine doth. (John French, The York-shire Spaw, 1652)

a leg to stand on Viable proof or justification; something on which to base one’s claims or attitudes. A leg pro vides support and helps to maintain balance. Figuratively this expression is most often heard in the negative not have a leg to stand on, referring to one who fails to support his attitudes or behavior. It is frequently used in legal contexts where an inability to provide proof or justification is pronounced. The still current expression dates from the 16th century.

She hasn’t a leg to stand on in the case. He’s divorcing her, she’s not divorcing him. (M. Spark, Bachelors, 1960)

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	validity - the quality of being valid and rigorous rigour, cogency, rigor believability, credibility, credibleness - the quality of being believable or trustworthy
	2.	validity - the quality of having legal force or effectiveness validness legality - lawfulness by virtue of conformity to a legal statute effect, force - (of a law) having legal validity; "the law is still in effect"
	3.	validity - the property of being strong and healthy in constitution hardiness, lustiness, robustness strength - the property of being physically or mentally strong; "fatigue sapped his strength"

validity

noun

1. soundness, force, power, grounds, weight, strength, foundation, substance, point, cogency Some people deny the validity of this claim.

2. legality, authority, legitimacy, right, lawfulness They now want to challenge the validity of the vote.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

validity

noun

The quality of being authentic:

authenticity, genuineness, realness, truthfulness.

Translations

Validität

εγκυρότητα

validez

kelpoisuusvaliditeetti

validit...validità

geldigheid

действительность

veljavnost

validity

[vəˈlɪdɪtɪ] N (all senses) → validez f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

validity

[vəˈlɪdəti væˈlɪdəti] n

[contract, document] → validité f

[claim, results, method, argument] → validité f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

validity

(Jur etc: of document) → (Rechts)gültigkeit f; (of ticket etc) → Gültigkeit f; (of claim) → Berechtigung f

(of argument) → Stichhaltigkeit f; (of excuse etc) → Triftigkeit f; the validity of your objection → Ihr berechtigter or begründeter Einwand; we discussed the validity of merging these two cinematic styles → wir diskutierten, ob es zulässig ist, diese beiden Filmstile zu mischen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

validity

[vəˈlɪdɪtɪ] n (of document) → validità; (of argument) → fondatezza, validità

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

va·lid·i·ty

n. validez.

validity

n validez f

References in classic literature ?

Among the lesser criticisms which have been exercised on the Constitution, it has been remarked that the validity of engagements ought to have been asserted in favor of the United States, as well as against them; and in the spirit which usually characterizes little critics, the omission has been transformed and magnified into a plot against the national rights.

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The assembled clergy admitted the validity of the plea, and the notoriety of the circumstances upon which it was founded; giving thus an indubitable and most remarkable testimony to the existence of that disgraceful license by which that age was stained.

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the queen-mother wrote to the court of Rome, and received as answer, that a marriage between us would have no validity, and would be dissolved by the holy father.

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Neither a religious sense of a certain moral validity in the previous union nor a conscientious wish for candour could hold out against it much longer.

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Any one who cares to do so might test the validity of those rules in the nearest possible way, by applying them to the varied examples in this wide [6] survey of what has been actually well done in English prose, here exhibited on the side of their strictly prosaic merit--their conformity, before all other aims, to laws of a structure primarily reasonable.

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His health having been perfect during all that time, he had been unable to discern any validity in whatever may or might have been urged to lure him astray from his counter and it is related that once when he was summoned to the county seat as a witness in an important law case and did not attend, the lawyer who had the hardihood to move that he be "admonished" was solemnly informed that the Court regarded the proposal with "surprise." Judicial surprise being an emotion that attorneys are not commonly ambitious to arouse, the motion was hastily withdrawn and an agreement with the other side effected as to what Mr.

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We are apt to think it inevitable that a man in Marner's position should have begun to question the validity of an appeal to the divine judgment by drawing lots; but to him this would have been an effort of independent thought such as he had never known; and he must have made the effort at a moment when all his energies were turned into the anguish of disappointed faith.

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Though they know the words which Jesus Christ appointed to be used in the administration of baptism, they have without scruple substituted others in their place, which makes the validity of their baptism, and the reality of their Christianity, very doubtful.

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Resting on no better foundation than the consent of the several legislatures, it has been exposed to frequent and intricate questions concerning the validity of its powers, and has, in some instances, given birth to the enormous doctrine of a right of legislative repeal.

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I have heard, young man, that thou claimest descent from the native owners of the soil; but surely thy education has been given thee to no effect, if it has not taught thee the validity of the claims that have transferred the title to the whites.

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He scarce knew whether he dare chance offending Komal or not, for so strong is the power of superstition that even though we know that we have been reverencing a sham, yet still we hesitate to admit the validity of our new-found convictions.

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So it was, reasoning thus, that Martin questioned the validity of his popularity.