noscitur a sociis

Latin maxim.

• “where a particular word or phrase is ambiguous in itself or is equally susceptible of various meanings, its correct construction may be made clear and specific by considering the company of words in which it is founded or with which it is associated” (Chavez v. JBC, En Banc, G.R. No. 202242, July 17, 2012)

• “the obscurity or doubt on a particular word or phrase may be removed by reference to associated words.” (Chavez v. JBC, En Banc, G.R. No. 202242, July 17, 2012)

• “the construction of a particular word or phrase, which is in itself ambiguous, or is equally susceptible of various meanings, may be made clear and specific by considering the company of words in which it is found or with which it is associated. In other words, the obscurity or doubt of the word or phrase may be reviewed by reference to associated words.” (GSIS v. COA, En Banc, G.R. No. 162372, October 19, 2011)
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