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Va. Code Ann. § 1-227 (2026)

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A word used in the singular includes the plural and a word used in the plural includes the singular.

Code 1919, § 5; Code 1950, § 1-13; 1950, p. 22, § 1-13.15; 2005, c. 839.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2009–2025 · 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× “”); Code § 1-227 (“A word used in the singular includes the plural and a 7 word used in the plural includes the singular.”
Karey Burkholder v. Palisades Park Owners Ass'n, 882 S.E.2d 906 (Va. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 4× “Under Code § 1-227, “[a] word used in the singular includes the plural and a word used in the plural includes the singular.”
Virginia Bd. of Veterinary Med. v. Lori D. Leonard, No. 0252142 (Va. Ct. App. Nov. 12, 2014). · cites it 8× “Again, its charge is to protect the health, welfare, and safety of the public, including animal patients. It is inconceivable that the Board would ignore the safety of the first animal subjected to unprofessional conduct.”
Owen W. McGuire v. City of Roanoke, No. 0327243 (Va. Ct. App. May 27, 2025). · cites it 4× “And, where a term is used in the singular in statutory text, we are informed that “[u]nder Code § 1-227, ‘[a] word used in the singular includes the plural and a word used in the plural includes the singular’” unless the statutory context provides otherwise.”
Hollowell v. Virginia Marine Resources Comm'n, 78 Va. Cir. 257 (Norfolk Cir. Ct. 2009). · cites it 4× “The General Assembly’s use of the word “a” to modify “season” defines “season” as one of a group of occurrences. This indicates an intention to allow the VMRC to close a to-be-identified individual season from the group of future seasons.”
Howell v. McAuliffe, No. 160784 (Va. July 22, 2016). · cites it 2× “”); Code § 1-227 (“A word used in the singular includes the plural and a word used in the plural includes the singular.”
Commonwealth of Virginia v. Luther George Berry, III, No. 1350172 (Va. Ct. App. Dec. 27, 2017). · cites it 2× “6 Although in construing statutory language the singular can include the plural, see Code § 1-227, the context provided by the remainder of the statutory scheme strongly suggests that the use of the singular here was intended to limit the Commonwealth to only one appeal of a…”
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