1 Government Contracts: Law, Admin & Proc § 2.40

Summary

• [1] Generally

  Often in government contracts, the contract and specification contain terms or expressions of doubtful meaning. These terms and expressions must be interpreted in order to ascertain the intention of the parties. As a general proposition, words used in a contract express whatever meaning convention has attached to them. Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Leasing & Building Co., 46 F.2d 2 (6th Cir. 1931).

• [2] Common Meaning of Words

  A word in a government contract generally will be given its usual meaning even though one of the parties may have intended a different meaning. Novamedix, Ltd. v. NDM Acquisition Corp., 166 F.3d 1177, 1180–81 (Fed. Cir. 1999) (court to interpret contract by reference to chosen terms, not subjective intent); see also Hotpoint Co. v. United States, 117 F. Supp. 572, 127 Ct. Cl. 402 (1954). “Usual meaning,” in the sense used above, is the common general significance of a word or phrase, and not to a narrow and technical definition.

  In interpreting ...