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Synonym Chooser

How is the word valid different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of valid are cogent, convincing, sound, and telling. While all these words mean "having such force as to compel serious attention and usually acceptance," valid implies being supported by objective truth or generally accepted authority.

a valid reason for being absent
a valid marriage

When might cogent be a better fit than valid?

While in some cases nearly identical to valid, cogent may stress either weight of sound argument and evidence or lucidity of presentation.

the prosecutor's cogent summation won over the jury

When is convincing a more appropriate choice than valid?

Although the words convincing and valid have much in common, convincing suggests a power to overcome doubt, opposition, or reluctance to accept.

a convincing argument for welfare reform

In what contexts can sound take the place of valid?

While the synonyms sound and valid are close in meaning, sound implies a basis of flawless reasoning or of solid grounds.

a sound proposal for reviving the economy

Where would telling be a reasonable alternative to valid?

The words telling and valid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, telling stresses an immediate and crucial effect striking at the heart of a matter.

a telling example of bureaucratic waste

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of valid This ticket is for admission to EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom (one theme park per day, not valid for admission to Magic Kingdom). Devonne Goode, Parents, 12 Apr. 2025 On Thursday at 11:09 p.m. a dense fog advisory was issued by the NWS San Diego CA valid for Friday between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. for Orange County Coastal. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2025 This particular deal is valid for certain flights purchased between April 10 to April 15 and booked for travel in May and September through December 2025. Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2025 Citizen Green-card holder Long-term visa Short-term visa No valid visa Could you be denied entry or detained while attempting to enter the United States? Albert Sun, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for valid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for valid
Adjective
  • That makes for a logical disconnect, and palpable hypocrisy.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The logical conclusion is for the US to convert its gold holdings into bitcoin.
    Korok Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Given that this decline coincided with the large-scale movement of the US Commercial fishing fleet into those waters, the idea that overfishing might have something to do with it seemed a reasonable hypothesis.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Netanyahu was told to be reasonable on Turkey Since the fall of the Assad dynasty in Syria late last year, Israel and Turkey have been competing in the country over their separate interests there.
    Time, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Right now, though, a coherent A.I. policy seems well-nigh inconceivable.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • And unlike misspellings or other mistakes, large swaths of coherent text don’t give the reader clues that the transcriptions could be inaccurate, potentially leading users to use them in high-stakes scenarios without ever finding their failures.
    Asmelash Teka Hadgu, Scientific American, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Rajula Srivastava, for contributions in harmonic analysis and analytic number theory, including contributions to the problem of counting rational points near smooth manifolds.
    Alex Cramer, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2025
  • There is no rational analysis that would lead one to the conclusion that a President would single-handedly decide to blow up a century’s worth of globalization on a chilly Wednesday afternoon in April.
    Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Shorts are the only categories whose winners are ineligible for best picture, acting, screenplay or any other major Oscar, due to their length.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • After a week full of monstrous swings, the S&P 500 posted its best weekly performance since November 23, while the Nasdaq saw its best week since November 2022, according to the financial data firm FactSet.
    Anne Marie Drummond Lee, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Spectators got wind of the sensible footwear concealed by the Fiesta finery and began demanding to see the shoes.
    Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2025
  • The only sensible pathway to being an AI Continent would be to promise that AI innovation is the highest priority.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Valid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/valid. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on valid

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