Noscitur a sociis
Latin: It is known by its associates.
Also called: A word is known by the company it keeps
A word is known by the company it keeps. The meaning of a doubtful word in a statute may be gathered from the words associated with it.
Explained
Noscitur a sociis is a rule of statutory interpretation. Where a word in a statute is capable of more than one meaning, its sense may be gathered from the words that surround it. When two or more words of analogous meaning are coupled together, they are understood in their common sense, so that a wide word takes colour from narrower words beside it.
The rule is an aid to construction, not a binding rule of law. It is applied where the meaning of a word is doubtful and the context shows that the legislature used the associated words in a common sense. It is not applied where the language is clear, or where the legislature deliberately used words of wide import, or where the associated words do not share a common feature. In State of Bombay v. Hospital Mazdoor Sabha (1960) the Supreme Court declined to use the maxim to narrow the definition of industry in Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, holding that the words used were wide and the maxim could not cut them down.
The rule must be distinguished from ejusdem generis. Ejusdem generis applies where general words follow a list of specific words forming a distinct genus, and confines the general words to things of that genus. Noscitur a sociis is wider: it does not need a genus or a list followed by general words, and works from association alone. Ejusdem generis is often described as a particular application of noscitur a sociis. Reddendo singula singulis, another associated rule, applies words distributively to their respective subjects.
Examiners commonly ask for the meaning in matching questions with other interpretive maxims, the difference from ejusdem generis, and the limits on its use.
Example
For example, in a rule punishing anyone who "defaces or destroys" a public notice board, "defaces" read with "destroys" points to physical damage to the board, not to criticism of what the notice says.
For the exam
- Meaning: a word is known by the company it keeps.
- Used only where the word is ambiguous; it does not override clear words.
- Hospital Mazdoor Sabha (1960): not applied to narrow 'industry' in Section 2(j), ID Act.
- Ejusdem generis needs a genus followed by general words; noscitur a sociis does not.
- It is a rule of construction and not a rule of law.
4 questions in the Law Maker question bank use this maxim. Practise Legal Maxims & Jurisprudence questions
Related terms
- Ejusdem generisA rule of interpretation: where general words follow specific words of a distinct class, the general words are read as limited to things of the same class as the specific words.
- Expressio unius est exclusio alteriusA rule of construction: when a statute or document expressly mentions certain things, other things of the same kind not mentioned are presumed to be excluded.
- Generalia specialibus non derogantA rule of interpretation: where a general provision and a special provision deal with the same matter, the special provision prevails and the general one does not override it.
- Ut res magis valeat quam pereatA rule of interpretation: where a provision or document can be read in two ways, the court prefers the reading that gives it effect over one that makes it void, futile or meaningless.
Checked 6 November 2026. Statutory text is quoted from the Bare Acts library, taken from India Code. See the full glossary.