Validity

Definitions: Validity

Validity

Noun

1. The quality of being logically valid.

2. The quality of having legal force or effectiveness.

Date "validity" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1350. (references)

Specialty Definitions: Validity

Domain	Definitions
Economics	1. Validity - Legal sufficiency. Mere regularity in the execution of documents may not be enough for "legal sufficiency." 2. The time period for which a letter of credit is valid. (references)
Medicine	The extent to which a test measures what it is designed to measure. Source: European Union. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Specialty Definition: Validity

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

In classical two-valued logic, an argument is said to have validity or to be valid if, and only if, it is the case that, if the premises of the argument are true, then the conclusion must be true. In other words, a valid argument is one where the premises make the conclusion true. There are many other ways to formulate this basic definition: the premises entail the conclusion; it cannot be the case both that the premises are true and the conclusion false; the falsehood of the conclusion entails the falsehood of at least one premise; etc.

A close examination of the definition of 'valid' should make a few things clear about validity. The definition says neither that the premises have to be true nor that that the conclusion has to be true. Validity is a conditional notion: what it says is that if the premises happen to be true, then the conclusion has to be true. As far as validity is concerned the premises might be completely and obviously false. Consider an example of a valid argument:

All dogs have eight legs.

The President is a dog.

Therefore, the President has eight legs.

Bear in mind that 'valid' is a technical term in logic: this is a perfectly valid argument. What does that mean, in this example? Something like this: suppose it were true that all dogs had eight legs; and suppose, just suppose, that the President really were a dog; well, in that absurd imaginary world, the President would have to have eight legs. The conclusion has to be true, if the premises are true. So the argument is valid, even though it has false premises, not to mention a false conclusion.

Validity is not to be confused with soundness; a sound argument is not only valid, its premises are true as well. Not all valid arguments are valid in the loose and popular sense of this word, meaning 'good': not all valid arguments (valid, as this term is used in logic) are good, or successful, as the above example should show.

Argument form is what makes an argument valid. But a valid argument is one where, if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true (and here is a way to put it more briefly: the premises make the conclusion necessary). Now put these two propositions together and draw a conclusion:

Form makes an argument valid.

If an argument is valid, then the premises make the conclusion necessary.

Form makes an argument such that the premises make the conclusion necessary.

One can see whether the premises make the conclusion necessary just by looking at the form of the argument. That is why argument form is so important. Look, for example, at the following argument form. In fact, any argument that follows this form is valid. You can see that just by reading it:

All S is P.

a is S.

Therefore, a is P.

Now examine the following argument. It fits that form and is (therefore) valid:

All dogs are canines.

Fido is a dog.

Therefore, Fido is a canine.

In law, validity means the legal existence of a norm. A norm that is authorized by another norm is said to exist in that legal system, i.e., to be valid.

In psychometrics, a valid measure is one that measures what it is supposed to measure. For example, a valid measure of mathematical problem-solving measures mathematical ability rather than the verbal ability necessary to understand complicated statements of mathematical problems. See Validity (psychometric).

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Validity."

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Synonyms: Validity

Synonyms: cogency (n), rigor (n), rigour (n), validness (n). (additional references)

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Synonyms within Context: Validity

Context	Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).
Power	Ability; ableness; Adjective: competency; efficacy; efficiency, productivity, expertise (skill) ; validity, cogency; enablement; vantage ground; influence.
Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

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Crosswords: Validity

English words defined with "validity": allow, appraiser, authenticator ♦ Certified check, condition, convert, convince ♦ demonstrate, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiousness ♦ earnest, effect, establish, expire ♦ fabulous, Factum, force, formal logic ♦ in earnest ♦ mathematical logic, mythic, mythical, mythologic, mythological ♦ notary, notary public ♦ plausibility, plausibleness, precondition, probate, prove ♦ question ♦ refine, run out ♦ shew, show, sincere, solemn, stipulation, symbolic logic ♦ take into account ♦ validate ♦ win over, with validity. (references)

Specialty definitions using "validity": APPEALS REVIEWER, VETERAN, automobile rental agent, AUTOMOBILE RENTAL CLERK, automobile rental representative ♦ car rental clerk, CLAIM EXAMINER, Confirmed Letter of Credit, COUNSELOR, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, cross validation ♦ dog warden ♦ executive ♦ forecast amendment, further outlook ♦ GENERAL CLAIMS AGENT, golf-course patroller, GOLF-COURSE RANGER ♦ informal will, INFORMATION CLERK-CASHIER, INSPECTOR, RETURNED MATERIALS ♦ LAWYER, PATENT, liaison officer ♦ mutuel cashier ♦ national insurance officer ♦ parimutuel cashier, PARIMUTUEL-TICKET CASHIER, PARIMUTUEL-TICKET CHECKER, patent attorney, PATROL JUDGE, PLANNER, PROGRAM SERVICES, proof in solemn form, PSYCHOLOGIST, COUNSELING, PSYCHOMETRIST, Public Key Infrastructure ♦ QUALITY ASSURANCE ANALYST, QUALITY-CONTROL COORDINATOR ♦ rehabilitation officer, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE ♦ salvage inspector, separability clause, service dismantler, service officer, service-claims inspector, social science number, solicitor, patent, Sound science, STEWARD, RACETRACK ♦ test census, ticket counter, TIME-STUDY ENGINEER, to admit to probate ♦ validity check, validity checking, veterans' claims representative, VETERANS CONTACT REPRESENTATIVE, veterans' counselor, veterans' service officer, voglianite. (references)

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Commercial Usage: Validity

Domain	Title
Books	Ecological Validity of Neuropsychological Testing (reference) Ethnic Validity, Ecology, and Psychotherapy: A Psychosocial Competence Model (Applied Clinical Psychology) (reference) How to Measure Survey Reliability and Validity (Survey Kit, Vol 7) (reference) Multiple Personality Disorder in the Netherlands: A Study on Reliability and Validity of the Diagnosis (reference) On the Permanent Validity of the Church's Missionary Mandate: Redemptoris Missio (reference) (more book examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Historic Usage: Validity

Author	Date	Quotation
Amendment to US Constitution	1795-2027	The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. (reference)
Communist Manifesto	1848	Differences of age and sex have no longer any distinctive social validity for the working class. (reference)
Treaty of Versailles	1919	In its decision the tribunal will be guided by the highest motives of international policy, with a view to vindicating the solemn obligations of international undertakings and the validity of international morality. (reference)
Brown v. Board of Education	1954	In Cumming v. County Board of Education, and Gong Lum v. Rice, the validity of the doctrine itself was not challenged. (reference)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Validity

Subject	Topic	Quote
Health		Evaluate the validity and reliability of screening instruments. (references)
		Such studies are needed to confirm the validity of these suggested associations. (references)
		It is often used to establish and localize consistency and validity of the epileptogenic region. (references)
Business		The health card validity period is one year. (references)
		Only judges may decide on the validity of any deprivation of liberty. (references)
		Tenders normally have a 90-day validity period unless otherwise indicated. (references)
Civil Liberties	Morocco	The gendarmerie maintains checkpoints throughout the country, at which drivers' licenses and vehicle registrations are examined for validity. (references)
	Belize	These provisions include forbidding any citizen to question the validity of the financial disclosure statements submitted by public officials. (references)
	Denmark	The Government does not require that religious groups be licensed, but the State's permission is required for religious ceremonies, for example, weddings, if they are to have civil validity. (references)
Economic History	Luxembourg	If not, the validity is reduced to six years. (references)
	Belgium	The inherent validity of the design or model is not examined. (references)
	Cote D'ivoire	Patent validity is ten years, with two five year extensions possible. (references)
Human Rights	Brunei	The law provides for a prompt judicial determination regarding the validity of an arrest. (references)
	Jamaica	While allegations of "police murder" were frequent, the validity of many of the allegations was suspect. (references)
	India	The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional validity of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). (references)
Political Economy	BELGIUM	However, the validity of the Patent is not guaranteed. (references)
Political Rights	Fiji	On March 1, the Court of Appeal affirmed the validity of the Constitution. (references)
	Belarus	It also gave the President the prerogative to decide on the validity of referendum results. (references)
Trade	Portugal	There may be a postponement of up to six months or the period of validity of any import certificate issued. (references)
	Portugal	The composition and usage instructions and should clearly indicate product validity and the name and address of the importer. (references)
	Philippines	Products under Category I may be subject to random examination at any time during the validity of the registration and the cost of laboratory analysis shall be charged to the importer. (references)
Travel	Laos	BUSINESS VISAS HAVE A ONE-MONTH VALIDITY AND ARE RENEWABLE. (references)
	Mexico	This form may be obtained with validity up to one year, renewable up to a total of five years. (references)
	Indonesia	All visitors must have at least 6 months validity left in their passports and a round-trip or onward ticket. (references)
Women	Kenya	Although the validity of the study is unproven, the basic figures support other published figures and anecdotal evidence. (references)
Worker Rights	Brazil	In the case of such an objection, the MLE's Secretariat for Labor Relations has 15 days to consider the validity of the objection. (references)
	Russia	This lack of clear identification under the law has made tripartite tariff agreements (with labor, management, and government participation) nonbinding at the municipal, regional, national, and industrial levels and has brought their legal validity into question. (references)
Lexicography	Devil's Dictionary	EXECUTIVE, n. An officer of the Government, whose duty it is to enforce the wishes of the legislative power until such time as the judicial department shall be pleased to pronounce them invalid and of no effect. Following is an extract from an old book entitled, The Lunarian Astonished -- Pfeiffer & Co., Boston, 1803: LUNARIAN: Then when your Congress has passed a law it goes directly to the Supreme Court in order that it may at once be known whether it is constitutional? TERRESTRIAN: O no; it does not require the approval of the Supreme Court until having perhaps been enforced for many years somebody objects to its operation against himself -- I mean his client. The President, if he approves it, begins to execute it at once. LUNARIAN: Ah, the executive power is a part of the legislative. Do your policemen also have to approve the local ordinances that they enforce? TERRESTRIAN: Not yet -- at least not in their character of constables. Generally speaking, though, all laws require the approval of those whom they are intended to restrain. LUNARIAN: I see. The death warrant is not valid until signed by the murderer. TERRESTRIAN: My friend, you put it too strongly; we are not so consistent. LUNARIAN: But this system of maintaining an expensive judicial machinery to pass upon the validity of laws only after they have long been executed, and then only when brought before the court by some private person -- does it not cause great confusion? TERRESTRIAN: It does. LUNARIAN: Why then should not your laws, previously to being executed, be validated, not by the signature of your President, but by that of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? TERRESTRIAN: There is no precedent for any such course. LUNARIAN: Precedent. What is that? TERRESTRIAN: It has been defined by five hundred lawyers in three volumes each. So how can any one know?
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Speeches: Validity

Speaker	Term	Phrase(s)
James Madison	1809-1817	Because the Bill violates the equality which ought to be the basis of every law, and which is more indispensable, in proportion as the validity or expediency of any law is more liable to be impeached.
Andrew Jackson	1829-1837	Amongst other acts of questionable validity, the notes of the expired corporation are known to have been used as its own and again put in circulation.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Usage Frequency: Validity

"Validity" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Validity" is used about 1,356 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Noun (singular)	100%	1,356	5,870

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Expression: Validity

Expressions using "validity": extend validity ♦ legal validity ♦ period of validity ♦ period of validity of a forecast ♦ validity check ♦ validity checking ♦ with validity. Additional references.
Hypenated Usage
	Ending with "validity": cross-validity.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Validity

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Expression	Frequency per Day
validity	45
reliability validity	39
construct validity	17
internal validity	15
content validity	12
external validity	10
test validity	9
face validity	7
accuracy adequacy currentness quality validity	7
reliability sat validity	6
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translations: Validity

Language		Translations for "validity"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Albanian		vlefshmëri (availability, force), fuqi ligjore (competence, competency), bazueshmëri. (various references)

Arabic		‏سريان مفعول (force, validation, vigor, vigour), ‏صحة (accuracy, authenticity, exactitude, fidelity, fitness, health, legitimacy, nearness, nicety, purity, soundness, trustiness, truth, veracity), ‏صدق (accept, approve, assent, attest, believe, certify, confirm, credit, genuineness, hold good, make believe, notarize, ok, okay, okey, probity, ratify, sanction, sincerity, trueness, trustiness, truth, veracity, verity), ‏شرعية (legality, legitimacy, rightness). (various references)

Bulgarian		валидност (currency, force), обоснованост, законност (law, legality, legitimacy). (various references)

Chinese		有效性. (various references)

Czech		právoplatnost, platnost (force, operation), pevnost (fastness, firmness, fixedness, Fort, fortress, keep, post, solidity, stability, steadiness, strength, stronghold, strong-hold). (various references)

Danish		validitet. (various references)

Dutch		validiteit. (various references)

Finnish		kokeen validiteetti (test validity), kokeen osuvuus (test validity). (various references)

French		validité. (various references)

German		Stichhaltigkeit (potency, solidity, soundness), gültigkeit (legal force, validation). (various references)

Greek		κύροσ (authority, cyrus, prestige, weight), εγκυρότητα μιάς δοκιμασίας (test validity), εγκυρότητα (software validation, validation). (various references)

Hebrew		תקפות (soundness), כשרות (fitness, honesty, lawfulness, propriety). (various references)

Hungarian		érvényesség (availability, force). (various references)

Indonesian		keberlakuan, keabsahan (legality). (various references)

Italian		validit� (good, potency, status, validness). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		効力 (effect, efficacy, potency), 有効性 (effectiveness), 有効 (availability, effectiveness), 妥�"性 (propriety, verification), 合法性 (lawfulness). (various references)

Japanese Katakana		�"うほうせい (lawfulness), �"うりょく (effect, efficacy, potency, the intensity or illuminating power of light), ゆう�"うせい (effectiveness), ゆう�"う (amity, availability, companionship, effectiveness, fragrance, friendship, merit, wander), � とうせい (propriety, verification). (various references)

Korean		타당성 (Proprieties, Propriety). (various references)

Manx		shickyrys (assurance, certainty, conviction, security, stability, steadfastness, sureness), niart (abundance, cogency, drastic, force, much, power, strength, vehemence, weight of a blow), fort (ability), fondid (ableness, effectiveness, efficacy, efficiency, faculty, solidity, stability, sufficency), bree (animation, drift, effect, energy, essence, exhalation, gist, glow, implication, importance, initiative, interpretation, inwardness, power, significance, stamina, vigour, virtue). (various references)

Pig Latin		alidityvay.(various references)

Portuguese		validez. (various references)

Romanian		validitate (force), valabilitate (availability, currency, force, lawfulness, legality, proof). (various references)

Russian		обоснованность, законность (legality, legitimacy, nomocracy, vigor, vigour), доказанность. (various references)

Serbo-Croatian		vrednost (merit, valuation, value, worth), punovažnost, opravdanost (justice). (various references)

Spanish		validez (life, validness). (various references)

Swedish		giltighet (availability, force). (various references)

Turkish		yasallık (lawfulness, legality, legitimacy, soundness), sağlamlık (durability, earthiness, fastness, firmness, hardness, integrity, invulnerability, responsibility, robustness, solidity, soundness, stability, stoutness, sturdiness, substance, substantiality, wholeness), geçerlilik (availability, currency, effectiveness, force, soundness), geçerlik (availability, currency, effectiveness), doğruluk (accuracy, authenticity, candor, candour, correctitude, correctness, directness, evenness, exactitude, exactness, faithfulness, fidelity, honesty, integrity, justice, justness, preciseness, precision, prig, probity, rectitude, right, righteousness, rightness, sincerity, soundness, straightforwardness, straightness, trueness, truth, truthfulness, uprightness, veracity, Verity). (various references)

Ukranian		вірність (adherence, adhesion, allegiance, attachment, constancy, faith, faithfulness, fidelity, loyalty, troth), вагомість, законність (justice, legality, legitimacy, nomocracy, rightfulness, vigor, vigour), придатність (applicability, aptitude, availability, feasibility, fitness, serviceableness, suitability). (various references)

Vietnamese		tính chất hợp lệ giá trị, hiệu lực (efficaciousness, efficacy, efficiency). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Derivations & Misspellings: Validity

Derivations
	Words ending with "validity": invalidity, nonvalidity. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Validity" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: validati, validaty, velleity. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Rhyming with "Validity"

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "validity" (pronounced vuli"dutē)
7	-u l i" d u t ē	solidity.
5	-i" d u t ē	acidity, fluidity, humidity, illiquidity, liquidity, lividity, morbidity, rapidity, rigidity, stupidity, superfluidity, timidity, turbidity.
4	-d u t ē	absurdity, commodity, heredity, nudity, oddity.
3	-u t ē	ability, abnormality, acceptability, accessibility, accountability, activity, actuality, acuity, adaptability, admissibility, adversity, advisability, affinity, affordability, aggressivity, agility, alacrity, alkalinity, ambiguity, amenity, amiability, amity, analyticity, animosity, annuity, anonymity, antiquity, anxiety, applicability, atrocity, audacity, austerity, authenticity, authority, availability, banality, barbarity, believability, bestiality, biodiversity, bisexuality, brevity, brutality, calamity, capability, capacity, captivity, causality, cavity, celebrity, centrality, charity, chastity, civility, clarity, collegiality, commonality, community, comparability, compatibility, complexity, complicity, comprehensibility, conditionality, conductivity, confidentiality, conformity, congeniality, congruity, connectivity, constitutionality, continuity, convertibility, creativity, credibility, credulity, criminality, criticality, crotchety, culpability, curiosity, cyclicality, debility, deductibility, deformity, deity, deniability, density, dependability, depravity, deputy, desirability, dexterity, dignity, dimensionality, disability, discontinuity, disparity, dissimilarity, disunity, diversity, divinity, docility, domesticity, duality, ductility, duplicity, durability, eccentricity, elasticity, electability, electricity, eligibility, enforceability, enmity, enormity, entity, equality, equanimity, equity, eternity, ethnicity, eventuality, exclusivity, expressivity, extraterritoriality, extremity, facility, fallibility, falsity, familiarity, fatality, feasibility, Felicity, femininity, ferocity, fertility, festivity, fidelity, finality, flammability, flexibility, formality, fragility, fraternity, frivolity, frugality, functionality, futility, generality, generosity, geniality, gentility, gratuity, gravity, gullibility, heterogeneity, heterosexuality, hilarity, homogeneity, homosexuality, hospitality, hostility, humanity, humility, hyperactivity, hypersensitivity, identity, illegality, immaturity, immobility, immorality, immortality, immunity, impartiality, impersonality, impossibility, impropriety, impunity, impurity, inability, inaccessibility, inactivity, incapacity, incivility, incompatibility, incongruity, incredulity, indemnity, indestructibility, indignity, individuality, inequality, inequity, inevitability, infallibility, inferiority, infertility, infidelity, infinity, infirmity, inflexibility, informality, ingenuity, inhumanity, insanity, insecurity, insensitivity, instability, instrumentality, insularity, integrity, intensity, invincibility, invisibility, invulnerability, irrationality, irregularity, irresponsibility, irritability, laity, laxity, legality, legibility, lethality, levity, liability, liberality, locality, longevity, majority, malleability, maneuverability, marketability, masculinity, materiality, maternity, maturity, mediocrity, mendacity, mentality, minority, miscibility, mobility, modality, modernity, monstrosity, morality, mortality, motility, multiplicity, municipality, musicality, mutuality, nationality, nativity, necessity, negativity, neutrality, nobility, Nonconformity, nonentity, nonutility, normality, notoriety, obesity, objectivity, obscenity, obscurity, opacity, opportunity, originality, overcapacity, oversensitivity, palatability, parity, partiality, particularity, passivity, paternity, paucity, peculiarity, permeability, perpetuity, perplexity, personality, perversity, piety, plausibility, plurality, polarity, polity, pomposity, popularity, portability, possibility, posterity, practicality, predictability, principality, priority, probability, probity, proclivity, productivity, profanity, profitability, progressivity, promiscuity, propensity, proportionality, propriety, prosperity, proximity, publicity, punctuality, purity, quality, quantity, radioactivity, rarity, rationality, reactivity, readability, reality, receptivity, reciprocity, reflexivity, regularity, relativity, reliability, religiosity, respectability, responsibility, retroactivity, rickety, salinity, sanctity, sanity, scarcity, seasonality, security, selectivity, senility, seniority, sensibility, sensitivity, sensuality, sentimentality, serendipity, serenity, severity, sexuality, similarity, simplicity, sincerity, sobriety, society, solemnity, solidarity, sorority, speciality, specificity, spirituality, spontaneity, stability, sterility, subjectivity, suitability, superconductivity, superiority, supermajority, surety, survivability, susceptibility, sustainability, technicality, temerity, tenacity, theatricality, tonality, totality, toxicity, tranquility, transferability, Trinity, triviality, ubiquity, unanimity, unavailability, unfamiliarity, uniformity, unity, universality, university, unpopularity, unpredictability, unreality, unreliability, uppity, utility, vanity, variability, variety, varsity, velocity, velvety, venality, veracity, Verity, versatility, viability, vicinity, virginity, virility, virtuosity, viscosity, visibility, vitality, volatility, voracity, vulgarity, vulnerability.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

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Anagrams: Validity

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "a-d-i-i-l-t-v-y"
	-1 letter: avidity.
	-2 letters: avidly, daylit, tidily.
	-3 letters: daily, davit, iliad, laity, litai, livid, tidal, valid, vital.
	-4 letters: adit, alit, avid, davy, dial, dita, diva, idly, idyl, ilia, lady, laid, lati, tail, tali, tidy, tivy, vail, vial, vita, yald.
	-5 letters: aid, ail, ait, alt, dal, day, dit, ivy, lad, lat, lav, lay, lid, lit, tad, tav, til, vat, via, yid.
	Words containing the letters "a-d-i-i-l-t-v-y"
	+2 letters: additively, invalidity.
	+3 letters: drivability, nonvalidity, oxidatively.
	+4 letters: advisability, derivatively, driveability, evidentially, indicatively, meditatively, veridicality.
	+5 letters: individuality, predicatively, radioactively, undeviatingly.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.