international law

American  

noun

1. the body of rules that nations generally recognize as binding in their conduct toward one another.

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international law British  

noun

1. the body of rules generally recognized by civilized nations as governing their conduct towards each other and towards each other's subjects

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international law Cultural  

1. A body of rules and principles that govern the relations among nations. (See Geneva Conventions and International Court of Justice.)

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Etymology

Origin of international law

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Before our scheduled meeting, he’d been speaking with members of the International Law Enforcement Officers Association, an organization that focuses on fostering healthier relationships between police officers and their local communities.

From Slate • Aug. 26, 2024

That “ain’t going to happen,” said Brendan Plant, a Fellow of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law and Downing College at the University of Cambridge, because Russia is one of the council’s veto-wielding permanent members.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 26, 2022

The first is Germany’s expansive views on legal reach, the German Code of Crimes Against International Law, which came into force in 2002.

From Washington Post • Mar. 5, 2021

"Wednesday's decision will enter the history books," Mark Somos from the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law told the BBC.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2021

This change of opinion has especially manifested itself in the discussions on the subject in the Institute of International Law, a body composed exclusively of recognized international jurists.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 2 "Constantine Pavlovich" to "Convention" by Various