What does revalidate mean?
Revalidate means to validate something again. The expression is especially common in computing, security, research, and quality-control contexts, where a system, certificate, dataset, credential, or previous conclusion may need to be checked after an interval, a change, or new evidence. In a web application, for example, a server may revalidate a user's session to confirm that the session remains active and safe. The word carries a more formal and procedural tone than everyday alternatives such as 'check again' or 'confirm'. It is also more specific than 'validate', which can describe an initial assessment rather than a repeated one. Revalidation is consequently associated with maintaining trust, accuracy, and continued compliance with established criteria.
verbTo validate again, especially after making changes or receiving new information. In computing, it means to check that data or a system remains valid or trustworthy.
- To validate again, especially after changes or new information have made a previous validation uncertain.
- To check that data, credentials, or a system remain valid.
"The application revalidates the user's session after the password has been changed."
"The certificate is revalidated whenever the browser establishes a new connection."
"Reviewers should revalidate the results before the findings are published."
"The service revalidates cached information after a configuration change."
In digital security, revalidation is the moment a trusted session is asked to prove that it is still trustworthy.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does revalidate come from?
Revalidate was formed in English by combining the prefix re-, meaning again, with validate. Validate comes from Latin validus, meaning valid, lawful, or strong, through the Latin verb validare, meaning to declare or make valid. Its relatives include validity, validation, validator, and invalid, all of which reflect the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How revalidate is actually used
The word is formal and especially common in technical, scientific, and administrative contexts. It is less typical in everyday conversation than 'check again' or 'confirm again'.
Easily confused with revalidate
Validate means to check or establish that something is valid, whereas revalidate means to perform that check again.
Revalidate means to validate again; validate generally refers to an initial or standard validation process.