Expressio Unis Est Exclusio Alte Law and Legal Definition
Expressio unis est exclusio alte is a Latin term which means the “explicit mention of one thing excludes all others.” In construing statutes, contracts, wills, and the like under this maxim, the mention of one thing within the statute or other document implies the exclusion of another thing not so mentioned. To be specific, things not mentioned in a particular list are assumed not to be covered by the statute. However, sometimes a list in a statute is illustrative, not exclusionary. This is usually indicated by a word such as “includes” or “such as.”
