neplatná

Neplatný is an adjective used in Czech and Slovak to denote that something is not valid, not legally binding, or has no legal effect. It is applied to objects, acts, or decisions that do not meet required legal conditions or are otherwise ineffective.

In legal and administrative contexts, neplatný describes documents, contracts, or legal acts that lack enforceability. Examples include neplatná smlouva (invalid contract), neplatný právní úkon (invalid legal act), neplatný doklad totožnosti (invalid identity document), or neplatný hlas (invalid vote). The term signals that the item in question cannot produce legal consequences or obligations.

Causes for labeling something neplatný vary and can include expiration of validity, formal deficiencies or missing required elements, illegality, fraud, coercion, or lack of valid consent. In some legal systems, an act or document may be declared neplatný ab initio (from the outset) or neplatný od počátku, indicating it never had legal effect.

The noun form neplatnost denotes invalidity or voidness, while antonymous forms derive from platný, meaning valid. The prefix ne- marks negation, a common pattern in both Czech and Slovak.

Etymology traces neplatný to the negating prefix ne- combined with platný, which comes from the concept of being valid or legally effective. The term is widely used in law, administration, and everyday language to indicate that something does not meet the required standards of validity.