Which statement describes Ejusdem Generis?

• A. Expressio unius est exclusio alterius
• B. Noscitur a sociis
• C. General terms apply to items of the same class as those listed.
• D. Plain meaning rule and legislative history

Answer: (C)

Ejusdem Generis is a rule of statutory interpretation used when a statute lists several specific items followed by a general catch-all term. The general term is understood to cover only items of the same class as those named, so it doesn’t sweep in things outside that category. This keeps the broad phrase from expanding the statute beyond what the enumerated items suggest.

So the statement that best fits is that general terms apply to items of the same class as those listed. For example, if a law mentions “cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles,” the general term “motor vehicles” is read to include other items of the same motor-vehicle class (like cars and trucks) but not non-motorized items or items outside that class.

The other ideas describe different interpretive rules: one about what the statute explicitly lists implying exclusion of others, another about a word’s meaning being shaped by its neighboring words, and another about relying on the plain text (and sometimes legislative history). They aren’t Ejusdem Generis.