Invalidated

Invalidated is the past tense of invalidate, meaning to render something invalid, void, or no longer legally, technically, or practically acceptable. The term implies that prior status, authority, or effectiveness has been withdrawn or called into question. It is used across domains to describe a change in validity or credibility.

In law and administration, documents such as contracts, licenses, certificates, or registrations may be invalidated if they are found defective, fraudulent, expired, or in violation of rules. When something is invalidated, its associated rights or effects are typically nullified. Governments or organizations may invalidate decisions, approvals, or claims after review or due process.

In logic and mathematics, an argument or proof can be invalidated or shown to be invalid if it fails to establish its conclusion under the given premises. While “invalidated” is less common in formal logic, it is used to describe that a previously accepted result no longer holds after new evidence or critique.

In computing and information systems, cache invalidation is a common concept: cached data is marked invalid to ensure it is refreshed with current information. Data coherence, synchronization, and versioning rely on invalidation signals to maintain accuracy across systems.

Other uses can include medical testing, audits, or regulatory contexts where procedures error or new information leads to invalidation of results or findings.

Synonyms include voided, canceled, nullified, or repealed.