Text of the provision
Art. 1375. Words which may have different significations shall be understood in that which is most in keeping with the nature and object of the contract.
(1286)
Civil Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 386, approved June 18, 1949, effective August 30, 1950. Reproduced in full; verified verbatim against the LawPhil and ChanRobles official-text renderings.
What this article means
Words with different meanings are understood in the sense most in keeping with the nature and object of the contract.
This rule addresses situations where a single word in a contract is open to more than one accepted meaning. Rather than picking the meaning most favorable to either party, the interpreter looks to the contract's overall purpose to decide which sense the word was meant to carry. For example, a term like “improvements” in a construction contract would ordinarily be read differently than the same word appearing in a lease governing existing premises, because the surrounding purpose of each agreement points to a different, more sensible reading.
Questions about this provision
- A word in my contract can be read two ways, which meaning controls?
- A word in our contract has multiple meanings — which meaning should govern when interpreting the contract?
Related provisions
- Article 1374 — Stipulations Read Together.
- Article 1376 — Usage and Custom.
Cases citing this article
- International Finance Corporation vs. Imperial textile Mills, Inc, G.R. No. 160324, November 15, 2005 — read the decision on LawPhil →
Compiled automatically from Supreme Court decisions published on LawPhil that expressly cite this article, most frequently cited first. A listing means the decision cites the provision — it is not a statement that the case is the leading authority, and it does not show whether a ruling has since been modified or abandoned. Always read the decision itself.