batili
bah-TEE-lee
How to say it
Swahilibatilibah-TEE-lee
Englishvoid, null, invalid
Frenchnul, non valide, invalide
Meaning
Having no legal force or validity, as when a court declares a law, a contract or an election void. In religion a prayer done wrongly is also said to be batili.
Good to know
It follows ni or a noun and does not change: uchaguzi ni batili, the election is void; mkataba batili, a void contract. The verb kubatilisha means to annul.
Examples
- Mahakama ilitangaza mkataba huo kuwa batili.The court declared the contract void.
- Kura zilizoharibika zilihesabiwa kuwa batili.The spoiled ballots were counted as invalid.
- Walidai kwamba uamuzi huo ni batili.They claimed that the decision was null.
Not yet checked by a native speaker.