invalidate
/ɪnˈvalɪdeɪt
/verb [with object]
1Make or prove (an argument, statement, or theory) unsound or erroneous.His second is that finding unpleasant - even horrible - application of a scientific theory or philosophical argument invalidates the theory....
- The reporter did ask, ‘Well, doesn't that invalidate just war theory as a whole?’
- However, none of this invalidates the general theory that stock aligns CEO incentives with those of the shareholders better than does cash salary; it does.
Synonyms
disprove, show/prove to be false, refute, explode, contradict, rebut, negate, gainsay, belie, give the lie to, discredit, expose, debunk, knock the bottom out of, drive a coach and horses through;
weaken, undermine, compromise
informal shoot full of holes, shoot down (in flames)
formal confute, negative
2Deprive (an official document or procedure) of legal validity because it contravenes a regulation or law: a technical flaw in her papers invalidated her nomination...
- In a four-hour opening address to a packed courtroom, the barrister went on to argue that invalidating the search warrants would set a precedent that would dangerously restrict their future operations.
- These cases stress that errors, even fraudulent errors, do not automatically invalidate the warrant.
- Finding such so-called prior art is the only way to invalidate a patent.
Synonyms
render invalid, void, nullify, annul, negate, cancel, quash, veto, overturn, overrule, override, undo, reverse;
revoke, rescind, abolish, repeal, repudiate, terminate
Derivatives
invalidation
/ noun ...- I asked members of the faculty at the University of Chicago Law School to estimate the number of Supreme Court invalidations of state and federal law.
- The newspaper has written to the Independent Committee Against Corruption asking for the immediate return of seized material and the invalidation of warrants used against it.
- Under one of the bills, the Post-Privatisation Control Agency should be allowed to take action towards invalidation of privatisation contracts in circumstances, which would justify such action.
Origin
Mid 17th century: from medieval Latin invalidat- 'annulled', from the verb invalidare (based on Latin validus 'strong').