The best interpretation is made from antecedents and consequents.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) The best way to construe a doubtful passage is to examine what comes before and what follows it — context, both preceding and subsequent, illuminates meaning.

Where this applies

• A contract clause about payment terms is ambiguous on its own, but reading the paragraphs before and after it makes clear that payment was due on delivery, not thirty days later.
• A senator's floor speech uses a confusing phrase, but looking at the prior amendments and the subsequent vote record clarifies what the legislature actually intended.
• A disputed will provision becomes clear when you read the paragraph that precedes it, which names specific beneficiaries, and the paragraph that follows, which describes how the estate should be divided.