Important Legal Definitions
Explore legal terms, clear definitions and practical examples.
Definition Clause: "Means" vs. "Includes"
Canons of Statutory Interpretation
Definition
Means: Renders the statutory definition hard, exhaustive, and complete; no other items can be imported.
Includes: Renders the definition expansive, illustrative, and non-exhaustive; other items sharing similar characteristics can be included.
Example
In Bharat Coop. Bank (Mumbai) Ltd. v. Coop. Bank Employees Union, the Supreme Court held that where a definition uses the word "means," it is exhaustive, whereas the word "includes" enlarges the ordinary meaning of the term.