statutory interpretation

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "statutory interpretation" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it in legal contexts when discussing the process of determining the meaning of laws. For example, "The court's decision relied heavily on statutory interpretation to clarify the law's intent." Alternative expressions include "legal interpretation" and "interpretation of statutes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Justice Ginsburg cited a general principle of statutory interpretation that calls for statutes to be interpreted so that no clause is rendered superfluous.

The New York Times

But the three conservative dissenters accused the majority of "interpretive jiggery-pokery" and "somersaults of statutory interpretation" to fix a political, not legal, problem.

Los Angeles Times

This case raises important questions of statutory interpretation, and constitutionality.

The New York Times

Seven of the nine justices agreed with the statutory interpretation.

The New York Times

"Riegel boiled down to statutory interpretation," said Professor Sharkey, of N.Y.U.

The New York Times

Most of the real disputes on the committee were over statutory interpretation.

The New York Times

Its decision was as far removed as it could be from a "garden variety" statutory interpretation.

The New York Times

"It was a close case of statutory interpretation," she said, "but we respect the court's decision".

The New York Times

The legal question for the court was one of statutory interpretation.

The New York Times

Congressional Democrats introduced a bill within days to overturn the court's statutory interpretation.

The New York Times

That aspect of the decision meant that further developments will occur in the realm of statutory interpretation and administrative action.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal legal writing, you can alternate between this phrase and "statutory construction" to avoid repetitive language.

Common error

Avoid using "statutory interpretation" when discussing the analysis of a constitution. While the methods are similar, statutes are laws created by legislatures, whereas a constitution is the supreme governing document. Use "constitutional interpretation" for the latter.

Linguistic Context

As demonstrated in the examples provided by Ludwig, "statutory interpretation" functions as a compound noun phrase. It typically acts as the object of a preposition (e.g., "a matter of...", "principles of...") or the subject of a sentence in legal and journalistic contexts. Ludwig AI confirms its stability as a standard term of art.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science & Academia

20%

Encyclopedias & Wiki

15%

Less common in

Social Media

2%

Reference

3%

Formal & Business

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "statutory interpretation" is a highly established and correct legal term. Based on the data from Ludwig, it is frequently used in high-level journalism and legal scholarship to describe the process of determining a law's meaning. Ludwig AI indicates that it is most often found in the context of court rulings and legislative debates. Because it is a technical term, it maintains a formal tone and is often synonymous with "statutory construction". Writers should use it confidently when referring to the judicial analysis of legislative acts, ensuring they distinguish it from the interpretation of other legal documents like contracts or constitutions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

statutory construction

often used interchangeably in legal contexts to describe the technical process of analyzing legislation

interpretation of statutes

reverses the noun and adjective for a slightly more formal prepositional structure

legislative interpretation

emphasizes that the text being interpreted originates from the legislative branch

judicial interpretation

focuses on the role of the judge or court in the interpretive process

legal interpretation

provides a broader category that includes the interpretation of contracts, wills and treaties

legal construction

refers to the process of drawing conclusions beyond the direct expression of the text

statutory reading

offers a more literal and slightly less technical description of the process

textual interpretation

highlights a specific focus on the literal words used in the statute

purposive approach

specifies a particular method where the interpreter looks for the purpose or intent of the law

constitutional interpretation

refers specifically to interpreting a constitution rather than ordinary legislative acts

FAQs

What is the difference between "statutory interpretation" and "statutory construction"?

In modern legal practice, they are often used interchangeably. Historically, "statutory interpretation" referred to finding the literal meaning of words, while "statutory construction" referred to resolving ambiguities when the literal meaning was unclear.

Can I use "legal interpretation" instead of "statutory interpretation"?

Yes, but "legal interpretation" is a broader term. It is better to use the specific phrase when referring strictly to legislative acts.

How do I use "statutory interpretation" in a sentence?

You can say: "The Supreme Court's decision boiled down to a matter of statutory interpretation." or "The judge applied traditional canons of statutory interpretation to resolve the dispute."

Is it "statutory interpretation" or "legislative interpretation"?

Both are correct. "Statutory interpretation" is more common in judicial rulings, while "legislative interpretation" is often used when discussing the intent of the lawmakers.