Meaning & use
invalidating
Last updated
“invalidating” is a form of “invalidate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
making someone feel that their feelings, thoughts, or experiences are wrong or unimportant.
Grammar: Takes an object: invalidating someone's feelings. Often used as an adjective before a noun: an invalidating comment.
Patterns
- invalidating someone's feelings
- invalidating someone's experience
- feel invalidated by something
Saying 'you're overreacting' is an invalidating response that can make things worse.
She felt invalidated when her manager laughed at her concerns.
Therapists warn against invalidating a child's emotions, even when the feelings seem small.
verbtransitiveformallegal
making something officially no longer valid or legally acceptable.
Grammar: Takes an object: invalidating a contract, a vote, or a result.
Patterns
- invalidate a contract
- invalidate a result
- invalidate a vote
The judge is invalidating the agreement because one party signed under pressure.
A single spoiled ballot can invalidate the whole count in a close election.
The new evidence may invalidate the earlier court ruling.
Word forms
| third person singular | invalidates |
|---|---|
| past tense | invalidated |
| past participle | invalidated |
| -ing form | invalidating |
Common combinations
- an invalidating comment
- His invalidating comment made her stop sharing her ideas.
- feel invalidated
- Many patients feel invalidated when doctors dismiss their pain.
- invalidate a contract
- A missing signature can invalidate a contract.
- invalidate the results
- A technical error invalidated the results of the experiment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dismissive
- Dismissive describes an attitude that treats something as not worth attention; invalidating is stronger and suggests actively making someone feel wrong.
- undermining
- Undermining means gradually weakening someone's confidence or position; invalidating specifically attacks the value of their feelings or claims.
Opposites
Word family
- invalidate verb
- to make something no longer valid, or to make someone feel their feelings do not count
- invalid adjective
- not legally or officially acceptable
- validation noun
- the act of confirming that something is acceptable or that someone's feelings are real
- valid adjective
- legally or officially acceptable; based on good reasoning
Commonly confused: invalidating or invalid?
invalidating vs invalid
Invalid is an adjective meaning not valid, and as a noun it means a sick person. Invalidating is the -ing form of the verb invalidate.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses invalidating correctly.
Choose one answer.
Invalidate is a transitive verb, so the natural sentence is 'His rude reply invalidated her feelings.' Option 0 uses the -ing form where a past participle is needed; option 1 uses the wrong tense for a finished action; option 3 wrongly combines was with a past participle and an object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “invalidating”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.