diff --git a/docs/example-widget-editable.html b/docs/example-widget-editable.html
index c04150e0..63e7568a 100644
--- a/docs/example-widget-editable.html
+++ b/docs/example-widget-editable.html
@@ -243,18 +243,24 @@ td.no-edit, span.no-edit {
 
 					<tr id="editable-validate">
 						<td><a href="#" class="permalink">editable_validate</a></td>
-						<td>Validate the content change.
+						<td>Validate the content change (<span class="version updated">v2.17.8</span>)
 							<div class="collapsible">
 							<br>
 							Use this function to validate and/or modify the content before it is accepted.<br>
 							<br>
+							In <span class="version updated">v2.17.8</span>:
+							<ul>
+								<li>Set this option to be a global function, or an object containing a column index, or class name of the desired column</li>
+								<li>A <code>columnIndex</code> is now included in the function parameters</li>
+							</ul>
 							This function must return either a string containing the modified content or <code>false</code> to revert the content back to it's original value. Example:
 							<pre class="prettyprint lang-js">$(function(){
 
-  $('table').tablesorter({
+  $('#table1').tablesorter({
     widgets : ['editable'],
     widgetOptions : {
-      editable_validate : function(txt, orig){
+      // global validate function
+      editable_validate : function(txt, orig, columnIndex){
         // only allow one word
         var t = /\s/.test(txt) ? txt.split(/\s/)[0] : txt;
         return t ? t : false;
@@ -262,6 +268,25 @@ td.no-edit, span.no-edit {
     }
   });
 
+  $('#table2').tablesorter({
+    widgets : ['editable'],
+    widgetOptions : {
+      // validate function per column
+      editable_validate : {
+        0 : function(txt, orig, columnIndex){
+          // allow up to two words
+          var t = txt.split(' ');
+          return t.length > 2 ? t[0] + (t[1] ? ' ' + t[1] : '') : txt;
+        },
+        '.price' : function(txt, orig, columnIndex) {
+          // make sure the price column(s) are using a number
+          return isNaN( txt.replace(/[$,\s]/g, '') ) ? false : txt;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+
 });</pre>
 							Default value: <code>null</code>
 							</div>
diff --git a/js/widgets/widget-editable.js b/js/widgets/widget-editable.js
index 48e77e62..387b26df 100644
--- a/js/widgets/widget-editable.js
+++ b/js/widgets/widget-editable.js
@@ -79,9 +79,10 @@
 				})
 				.on('blur focusout keydown '.split(' ').join('.tseditable '), '[contenteditable]', function(e){
 					if ( !c.$table.data('contentFocused') ) { return; }
-					var t,
+					var t, validate,
 						valid = false,
-						$this = $(e.target);
+						$this = $(e.target),
+						column = $this.closest('td').index();
 					if ( e.which === 27 ) {
 						// user cancelled
 						$this.html( $this.data('original') ).trigger('blur.tseditable');
@@ -91,7 +92,16 @@
 					t = e.which === 13 && ( wo.editable_enterToAccept || e.altKey ) || wo.editable_autoAccept && e.type !== 'keydown';
 					// change if new or user hits enter (if option set)
 					if ( t && $this.data('before') !== $this.html() ) {
-						valid = $.isFunction(wo.editable_validate) ? wo.editable_validate( $this.html(), $this.data('original') ) : $this.html();
+
+						validate = wo.editable_validate;
+						valid = $this.html();
+
+						if (typeof(validate) === "function") {
+							valid = validate( $this.html(), $this.data('original'), column );
+						} else if (typeof (validate = $.tablesorter.getColumnData( table, validate, column )) === 'function') {
+							valid = validate( $this.html(), $this.data('original'), column );
+						}
+
 						if ( t && valid !== false ) {
 							c.$table.find('.tseditable-last-edited-cell').removeClass('tseditable-last-edited-cell');
 							$this