diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb
index e9674d51432510267cc1e307def930e60a237648..cf97f45dba94ab1127891dc55ebbefaa17dfc3fb 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations.rb
@@ -285,6 +285,8 @@ def errors
     # Runs all the specified validations and returns +true+ if no errors were
     # added otherwise +false+.
     #
+    # Aliased as validate.
+    #
     #   class Person
     #     include ActiveModel::Validations
     #
@@ -319,6 +321,8 @@ def valid?(context = nil)
       self.validation_context = current_context
     end
 
+    alias_method :validate, :valid?
+
     # Performs the opposite of <tt>valid?</tt>. Returns +true+ if errors were
     # added, +false+ otherwise.
     #
diff --git a/activemodel/test/cases/validations_test.rb b/activemodel/test/cases/validations_test.rb
index 4ea5670d32c466e23bcf71975b0b3738bd9bd6a7..6a74ee353de752d9459d8d81b1d624f5e783dc31 100644
--- a/activemodel/test/cases/validations_test.rb
+++ b/activemodel/test/cases/validations_test.rb
@@ -295,6 +295,15 @@ def test_validations_on_the_instance_level
     assert auto.valid?
   end
 
+  def test_validate
+    auto = Automobile.new
+
+    assert_empty auto.errors
+
+    auto.validate
+    assert_not_empty auto.errors
+  end
+
   def test_strict_validation_in_validates
     Topic.validates :title, strict: true, presence: true
     assert_raises ActiveModel::StrictValidationFailed do
diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
index 42b7618fa7812f0620605b6145c06e1518cae7fe..916d24aa03a7be6de7637cc8c4e3d299ed9ca66f 100644
--- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+*   Introduce `validate` as an alias for `valid?`.
+
+    This is more intuitive when you want to run validations but don't care about the return value.
+
+    *Henrik Nyh*
+
 *   Create indexes inline in CREATE TABLE for MySQL.
 
     This is important, because adding an index on a temporary table after it has been created
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations.rb
index 26dca415ffe81ee30a685bfcfaec950c1de887a8..9999624fcf83b474e9dea9ef1d847353429ef715 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/validations.rb
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ def save!(options={})
     # Runs all the validations within the specified context. Returns +true+ if
     # no errors are found, +false+ otherwise.
     #
+    # Aliased as validate.
+    #
     # If the argument is +false+ (default is +nil+), the context is set to <tt>:create</tt> if
     # <tt>new_record?</tt> is +true+, and to <tt>:update</tt> if it is not.
     #
@@ -71,6 +73,8 @@ def valid?(context = nil)
       errors.empty? && output
     end
 
+    alias_method :validate, :valid?
+
   protected
 
     def perform_validations(options={}) # :nodoc:
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/validations_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/validations_test.rb
index de618902aa39c91b972709b28b622e53e9e253c0..d80da06e274cd912c8732581f7d6641cc3a28008 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/validations_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/validations_test.rb
@@ -52,6 +52,21 @@ def test_error_on_given_context
     assert r.save(:context => :special_case)
   end
 
+  def test_validate
+    r = WrongReply.new
+
+    r.validate
+    assert_empty r.errors[:author_name]
+
+    r.validate(:special_case)
+    assert_not_empty r.errors[:author_name]
+
+    r.author_name = "secret"
+
+    r.validate(:special_case)
+    assert_empty r.errors[:author_name]
+  end
+
   def test_invalid_record_exception
     assert_raise(ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid) { WrongReply.create! }
     assert_raise(ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid) { WrongReply.new.save! }