Invalid
/ˈɪn.və.lɪd/noun
Not valid, or a person made weak or disabled by illness or injury.
Did you know?"Invalid" comes from Latin in- + validus, meaning "not strong" or "not powerful," and the same root behind valid also gave us words tied to force, health, and strength.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
invalidus
“weak, feeble, not strong”
Late Latin
Latin
invalidus
“infirm, powerless”
Middle French
Old French
invalide
“weak, disabled; lacking force or validity”
14th-16th Century
English
invalid
“ineffective, not legally or logically sound”
17th Century
English
invalid
“a sick or disabled person”
Modern English
English
invalid
“not valid; a person incapacitated by illness or injury”
Explore more surprising origins