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Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 1-17 (2025)

§ 1-17

✓ laws through the 2025 session: the 2026 session is not included
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     §1-17  Number and gender.  Words in the masculine gender signify both the masculine and feminine gender, those in the singular or plural number signify both the singular and plural number, and words importing adults include youths or children. [PC 1869, c 1, §5; RL 1925, §14; RL 1935, §15; RL 1945, §14; am L 1945, c 233, §1; RL 1955, §1-22; HRS §1-17]

 

Case Notes

 

  Singular read as plural where more than one office to be filled.  22 H. 520, 523.

  "Sureties" read as "surety".  33 H. 265, 266.

 

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases, 1960–2020 · leading case: AlohaCare v. Ito, 271 P.3d 621 (Haw. 2012).
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AlohaCare v. Ito, 271 P.3d 621 (Haw. 2012). · cites it 24× “This provision suggests that HRS § 431:10A-205(b) would not simply prohibit an accident and health insurer from requiring that services be rendered by "a particular hospital or person," but also by "particular hospitals or persons.”
Kanahele v. Maui Cnty. Council., 307 P.3d 1174 (Haw. 2013). · cites it 10× “The court relied on HRS § 1-17, which provides that words “in the singular or plural number signify both the singular and plural,” to conclude that the term “day” in HRS § 92-7(d) means both “day” and “days.”
G. v. Hawaii, Dep't of Human Servs., 676 F. Supp. 2d 1046 (D. Haw. 2009). · cites it 8× “The Court previously suggested that an argument could be made that the phrase “particular hospital or person,” as it appears in HRS § 431:10A-205(b), might be read as "particular hospitals or persons,” in light of the rule of statutory construction set forth in HRS § 1-17 that…”
Wong v. Hawaiian Scenic Tours, Ltd., 642 P.2d 930 (Haw. 1982). · cites it 4× “We believe this is an appropriate occasion for the application of HRS § 1-17, which provides inter alia, that words appearing in a statute “in the singular or plural number signify both the singular and plural number.”
Nobriga v. Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc., 683 P.2d 389 (Haw. 1984). · cites it 2× “” The use of words in a statute signifying the singular is, however, not conclusive for, as HRS § 1-17 provides: Words in the masculine gender signify both the masculine and feminine gender, those in the singular or plural number signify both the singular and plural number, and…”
In re Taxes of Johnson, 356 P.2d 1028 (Haw. 1960). “1955, Section 1-17.) There is no question but that in the ordinary sense of the word an apartment may be a “home.”
State v. Shaw, 462 P.3d 1109 (Haw. App. 2020). · cites it 6× “HRS § 1-17 (2009) provides the general rule of statutory construction that "[w]ords .”
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