What does invalidator mean?
An invalidator is a person or thing that makes something invalid, especially a decision, document, authorization, or legal status. The word is formal and relatively uncommon, appearing chiefly in legal, governmental, technical, and administrative contexts. It emphasizes the agent performing the act of invalidation rather than the condition of being invalid: an invalidator may be a court, official, body, or mechanism with authority to reject or annul something. In ordinary discussion, terms such as "canceller," "annuller," or simply "authority" may sound more natural. The word is formed from the negative form of "validate," with the suffix "-or" denoting an agent, and is closely related to "validation," "validator," and "validity."
nounA person or thing that invalidates something, especially by making it legally or officially invalid. The term is uncommon and is most often used in legal or administrative contexts.
- A person or thing that renders something invalid, especially a legal decision, document, or official status.
"The court appointed an independent invalidator to review the disputed evidence."
"The regulations named the registrar as the final invalidator of improperly granted permits."
"The opponent described the commission as an arbitrary invalidator of private decisions."
The plural is grammatically regular but rarely needed because the word itself is uncommon.
"The court rejected the claims that the regulators had acted as arbitrary invalidators."
An invalidator sounds like a gatekeeper with a red stamp: its role is to make a document, claim, or decision officially no longer valid.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does invalidator come from?
The word is formed from "invalid" or the related form "invalidate," both ultimately based on Latin "validus," meaning strong, sound, or valid. Adding the agent-forming suffix "-or" to the stem of "invalidate" produces a noun denoting a person or thing that performs invalidation. Its relatives include "validate," "validation," "validator," and "validity."
How invalidator is actually used
This is a formal and relatively uncommon word. It is more typical of legal, governmental, or technical writing than of everyday speech; in general contexts, a more direct noun such as "canceller" or "authority" may be clearer.
Easily confused with invalidator
An invalidator is a person or thing that invalidates something, whereas invalidity is the state or quality of being invalid.