When constructing a deductive argument, what characteristic MUST be present for the argument to be considered 'valid'?

For a deductive argument to be considered 'valid', the conclusion MUST necessarily follow from the premises. In other words, if the premises are true, then the conclusion MUST also be true. Validity in deductive arguments refers to the structure of the argument, not the truthfulness of the premises. An argument can be valid even if its premises are false; however, if the premises are true, the conclusion is guaranteed to be true in a valid argument. If it is possible for the premises to be true and the conclusion to be false, the argument is invalid. The validity hinges on the logical relationship between the premises and the conclusion, ensuring that the conclusion is a logically inescapable consequence of the premises.