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Simple English definitions for legal terms
objective meaning
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A quick definition of objective meaning:
Objective meaning refers to the meaning of something that is conveyed through written or spoken words. It is the understanding that a reasonable person would have of a communication, even if they may misunderstand it. In legal contracts, parties are often held to the objective meaning of the document, which is determined by a disinterested reasonable person who is familiar with the surrounding circumstances. This is different from subjective meaning, which is the meaning that a party to a legal document attributes to it when it is written, executed, or adopted. Plain meaning is also a related concept, which refers to the ordinary sense of words without considering the author's intent.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Objective meaning refers to the meaning of a written or spoken statement that is conveyed to a disinterested reasonable person who is familiar with the surrounding circumstances. It is the meaning that would be attributed to an unambiguous document or portion of a document.
For example, if a contract states that a buyer will pay $100 for a product, the objective meaning of this statement is that the buyer is obligated to pay $100 for the product. Even if the buyer subjectively believed that they only had to pay $50, they would still be held to the objective meaning of the contract.
Another example is the plain meaning rule, which is a type of objective meaning. This rule states that the meaning of a document should be interpreted based on the ordinary sense of the words used, without considering any extrinsic indications of the author's intent. For instance, if a law states that it is illegal to "drive over a red light," the objective meaning of this statement is that it is illegal to cross an intersection when the traffic signal is red.
Overall, objective meaning is important in legal contexts because it helps to ensure that parties are held accountable for the meaning of their written or spoken statements, regardless of their subjective beliefs or intentions.