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Virginia Code

Va. Code Ann. § 1-216 (2026)

Gender

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A word used in the masculine includes the feminine and neuter.

Code 1919, § 5; Code 1950, § 1-13; 1950, p. 21, § 1-13.7; 1997, c. 406; 2005, c. 839.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2016–2026 · leading case: Howell v. McAuliffe, 788 S.E.2d 706 (Va. 2016).
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Howell v. McAuliffe, 788 S.E.2d 706 (Va. 2016). · cites it 4× “See also Code § 1-216 (“A word used in the masculine includes the 6 feminine and neuter.”
Howell v. McAuliffe, No. 160784 (Va. July 22, 2016). · cites it 2× “See also Code § 1-216 (“A word used in the masculine includes the feminine and neuter.”
Lawton, No. 7:26-cv-00049 (W.D. Va. May 13, 2026). · cites it 2× “Code Ann. § 1-216 , that provision was first adopted in the 1919 Code of Virginia (at a time when statutes were written using only masculine pronouns), and its language has not been amended since then.”
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