Meaning & use
valid reason
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Meaning
phrasecountable
a good and acceptable explanation that makes an action or decision right or fair
Grammar: Countable; use 'a valid reason' or 'valid reasons'. Often followed by 'for' or 'to': a valid reason for leaving.
Patterns
- a valid reason for something
- a valid reason to do something
- have a valid reason
- no valid reason
She had a valid reason for missing the meeting: her flight was cancelled.
There is no valid reason to change the rules now.
If you have a valid reason, the teacher will accept your late work.
Word forms
| plural | valid reasons |
|---|
Common combinations
- a valid reason for
- He gave a valid reason for being absent.
- no valid reason
- There is no valid reason to delay the project.
- have a valid reason
- Do you have a valid reason for using your phone in class?
- a perfectly valid reason
- Wanting more free time is a perfectly valid reason to change jobs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- good reason
- 'Good reason' is more general and less formal; 'valid reason' suggests the reason meets a standard or rule.
- justification
- A justification is the act of showing why something is right; a valid reason is the reason itself.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: valid reason or valuable reason?
valid reason vs valuable reason
'Valuable' means 'worth a lot' and does not fit here; use 'valid' when you mean acceptable or reasonable.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'valid reason' correctly.
Choose one answer.
The phrase is 'a valid reason for doing something', so 'for being late' is correct. The prepositions 'of', 'at', and 'on' do not follow 'reason' in this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “valid reason”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.