Interpretation must be reasonable.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) Everything is to have a reasonable construction, and everything necessary to make a rule reasonable is implied.

Where this applies

• A zoning ordinance could technically be read to prohibit a family from growing a vegetable garden in their own backyard — the court rejects that absurd reading and adopts a reasonable one.
• A tax statute literally says "all transactions" are taxable, but a reasonable interpretation excludes routine personal purchases Congress clearly never meant to tax.
• A building code provision literally requires a permit to replace a doorknob — the court reads it reasonably to apply only to structural modifications.