expressio unius est exclusio alterius
noun
ex·pres·sio uni·us est ex·clu·sio al·ter·i·us
ik-ˈspre-shē-ō-yu̇-ˈnī-əs-ˌest-ik-ˈsklü-zē-ō-ȯl-ˈtir-ē-əs, ek-ˈspre-sē-ō-ü-ˈnē-u̇s-ˌest-ek-ˈsklü-sē-ō-äl-te-ˈrē-u̇s
: a principle in statutory construction: when one or more things of a class are expressly mentioned others of the same class are excluded
Cite this Entry
“Expressio unius est exclusio alterius.” Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/expressio%20unius%20est%20exclusio%20alterius. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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