ˈvalə̇d adjective
Etymology: Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French valide, from Medieval Latin validus, from Latin, strong, from valēre to be strong — more at wield
1.
a. : having legal strength or force : incapable of being rightfully overthrown or set aside : sanctioned or authorized by sovereign temporal or spiritual power
a valid deed
a valid covenant
a valid title
where a client has no valid ground for divorce — H.S.Drinker
exempt from the natural laws which may be valid for lesser creatures — Ritchie Calder
b. : conforming to conditions essential to sacramental efficacy
the synod also declared that the only valid baptism was by immersion — K.S.Latourette
2.
a. : well grounded or justifiable : applicable to the matter at hand : pertinent , sound
the above theory was tested experimentally … and was proved to be valid — H.G.Armstrong
particular grievances call … for the formulation of universally valid reasons why they should be redressed — Aldous Huxley
find no valid evidence for such suspensions — W.R.Inge
a valid argument
a valid purpose
b. of an inference : correctly derived from its premises ; specifically : true in terms of the logical principles of the logistic system to which the inference belongs
3.
a. : able to effect or accomplish what is designed or intended : effective , efficacious
literary scholarship has its own valid methods — René Wellek & Austin Warren
the written word was no longer a valid medium, the motion picture having supplanted it — Alexander Klein
in finally finding her courage valid it had in the same moment vanished — Janet Terrace
b. : capable of measuring, predicting, or representing according to intention or design
if the results of university matriculation examinations are a valid test — B.K.Sandwell
— compare reliable
4.
a. : strong , powerful
b. : healthy , robust
5.
a. of a taxon : based on distinctive characters of recognized importance : founded on an adequate basis of classification ; also : validly published
b. of the publication of a taxon : effective and accompanied by a description of the taxon or a reference to a previous description
Synonyms:
sound , cogent , convincing , telling may be compared with valid in being applied to arguments, reasonings, principles, ideas which have such force that they compel acceptance. Both valid and sound imply that the force is inherent in the rationality of the thought apart from its presentation. A valid argument or principle is supported either by objective truth or a generally accepted standard or authority
mathematical symbols, which are valid whether there is anything corresponding to them in nature or not — W.R.Inge
charges always valid in every age and country — J.A.Hobson
although a valid concept may have certain especially psychological limits
a “psychological fact” is valid for the person who holds it if for no other — F.J.Hoffman
sound , which may be applied to both persons and concepts, implies avoidance of fallacies, insufficient evidence, and hasty conclusions, and stresses solid foundation in fact or in reason or both, as well as the habit of clear and deliberate thought, often with an admixture of shrewed practical sense
much too sound a political thinker and too sagacious a party leader to rest his case upon abstract theory — V.L.Parrington
good, sound reasons against the passionate conclusions of love — Joseph Conrad
cogent and convincing apply to ideas (less frequently, to persons) compelling mental assent, but cogent stresses a force resident in the argument or reasoning, as inevitability or conclusiveness, as well as succinct and lucid presentation
the most cogent argument for freedom — man's tremendous innate variability — E.W.Sinnott
the most cogent political comment of the year — G.W.Johnson
whereas a convincing argument, speaker, or book may convince by either sound reasoning or by skillful selection and presentation
there are other ways of making a thing … convincing … besides merely appealing to one's logic and sense of fact — Irving Babbitt
convincing is often applied to fictional creations having the flavor of reality
in Aristophanes you have the convincing hurly-burly, the sweating, mean, talented, scrambling, laughing life of the Mediterranean — J.J.Chapman
telling suggests an immediate and crucial effect striking at the essence of the point, idea, or sentiment to be conveyed regardless of the validity of the cause
certainly makes some telling points … with a deftness that will disarm orthodox heresy-hunters — M.R.Cohen
paused as if to edit his woes and select the most telling ones — Norman Mailer