ungültig

Ungültig is an adjective in German that means not legally valid, not binding, or not effective. The term is formed with the negating prefix un- attached to gültig (valid). It is used in everyday language as well as in legal and administrative contexts.

In legal usage, ungültig describes acts, documents, or instruments that do not achieve legal effect because they fail to meet required definitions, conditions, or formalities. This can result from defects in consent, illegality, lack of capacity, or formal deficiencies such as missing signatures or required seals. In German law, there are related concepts such as Nichtigkeit (void ab initio) and Unwirksamkeit (ineffectiveness), which are technical distinctions used to classify why a Rechtsgeschäft (legal transaction) does not have legal force. Ungültig, while common, can be used for many situations where a document or action is not legally operative, for example a contract that does not meet required formalities or a certificate that has expired.

Beyond law, ungültig is widely used for non-legal validity. A passport, identity document, or certificate can be described as ungültig if it has expired, been canceled, or deemed unusable. In information technology and digital contexts, a token, password, or input may be called ungültig when it is no longer accepted as valid.

See also: gültig, Nichtigkeit, Unwirksamkeit.