The part which does not agree with its whole is entitled to small or no consideration.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) A clause or provision that is inconsistent with the whole agreement is given little or no weight — the parts must conform to the whole, and an outlier term yields to the dominant intent.

Where this applies

• A contract clause says the seller owes no duty of care, but every other clause and the entire purpose of the agreement assume the seller will act carefully — the contradictory clause is given little weight.
• A single paragraph in a hundred-page partnership agreement contradicts the overall intent of the deal, and the court disregards it because the part must agree with the whole.
• A warranty disclaimer buried in a purchase agreement conflicts with the express warranties in the rest of the document, and the court gives the disclaimer minimal consideration.