What does invalidly mean?
Invalidly means in a manner that fails to meet legal, logical, technical, or other recognized requirements. It describes the way an action or procedure is carried out rather than directly describing the resulting person, object, or situation as invalid. The adverb is especially common in legal and administrative language, where a decision, permit, signature, or document may be described as having been obtained, issued, or signed invalidly. It is also used in computing to describe improper encoding, configuration, or operation. In ordinary conversation, the more general words “incorrectly” or “wrongly” will often sound more natural, while “invalidly” gives the additional implication that a specific rule or standard has been violated. The distinction between the adverb and the adjective “invalid” is important: the former qualifies an action, while the latter characterizes a thing or status.
adverbIn a way that is not valid, lawful, logically sound, or otherwise recognized as legitimate.
- In a manner that is not valid, lawful, logically sound, or otherwise legitimate.
"The certificate had been signed invalidly and therefore could not be accepted."
"The application terminated because the configuration file had been encoded invalidly."
"The authority ruled that the permit had been issued invalidly."
Invalidly turns a simple problem into a systems problem: one improperly executed action can render everything that follows unreliable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does invalidly come from?
“Invalidly” was formed by adding the adverbial suffix “-ly” to “invalid.” “Invalid” comes through French from Latin “invalidus,” formed from the prefix “in-” and “validus,” “strong, sound, or valid.” Latin “validus” in turn derives from “valere,” meaning “to be strong” or “to be well.” The same Latin root is reflected in related words such as “validate,” “validity,” and “value.”
How invalidly is actually used
The adverb is most common in legal, administrative, and technical contexts. Its meaning depends on what is being qualified: it may indicate failure to comply with a law, an invalid format or structure, or the use of an unauthorized method.
Easily confused with invalidly
“Invalid” is an adjective describing something that is not valid, whereas “invalidly” is an adverb describing an action performed in an invalid manner.