FOUR-CORNERS RULE

four-corners rule. 1. The principle that a document’s meaning is to be gathered from the entire

document and not from its isolated parts. [Cases: Contracts 143.5; Evidence 448. C.J.S.

Contracts § 314.] 2. The principle that no extraneous evidence should be used to interpret an

unambiguous document. Cf. PAROL-EVIDENCE RULE. [Cases: Evidence 448.C.J.S. Evidence

• § 1214–1215, 1217, 1220–1221, 1228, 1286–1288, 1291.][Blacks Law 8th]