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8 

YATES v. UNITED STATES 

Opinion of GINSBURG, J. 

We have several times affirmed that identical language 
may  convey  varying  content  when  used  in  different  stat-
utes,  sometimes  even  in  different  provisions  of  the  same 
statute.  See,  e.g.,  FAA  v.  Cooper,  566  U. S.  ___,  ___–___ 
(2012),  (slip  op.,  at  6–7)  (“actual  damages”  has  different 
meanings  in  different  statutes);  Wachovia  Bank,  N. A.  v. 
Schmidt,  546  U. S.  303,  313–314  (2006)  (“located”  has
different  meanings  in  different  provisions  of  the  National 
Bank Act); General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc. v. Cline, 
540  U. S.  581,  595–597  (2004)  (“age”  has  different  mean-
ings  in  different  provisions  of  the  Age  Discrimination  in 
Employment  Act  of  1967);  United  States  v.  Cleveland 
Indians  Baseball  Co.,  532  U. S.  200,  213  (2001)  (“wages
paid”  has  different  meanings  in  different  provisions  of 
Title  26  U. S. C.);  Robinson,  519  U. S.,  at  342–344  (“em-
ployee”  has  different  meanings  in  different  sections  of 
Title  VII  of  the  Civil  Rights  Act  of  1964);  Merrell  Dow 
Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Thompson, 478 U. S. 804, 807–808 
(1986)  (“arising  under”  has  different  meanings  in  U. S.
Const.,  Art. III,  §2,  and  28  U. S. C.  §1331);  District  of 
Columbia v. Carter, 409 U. S. 418, 420–421 (1973) (“State
or  Territory”  has  different  meanings  in  42  U. S. C.  §1982 
and  §1983);  Atlantic  Cleaners  &  Dyers,  Inc.  v.  United 
States, 286 U. S. 427, 433–437 (1932) (“trade or commerce” 
has  different  meanings  in  different  sections  of  the  Sher-
man  Act).  As  the  Court  observed  in  Atlantic  Cleaners  & 
Dyers, 286 U. S., at 433: 

“Most  words  have  different  shades  of  meaning  and 
consequently  may  be  variously  construed  . . . .  Where 
the subject matter to which the words refer is not the 
same in the several places where [the words] are used, 
or the conditions are different, or the scope of the leg-
islative  power  exercised  in  one  case  is  broader  than 
that exercised in another, the meaning well may vary 
to meet the purposes of the law, to be arrived at by a