duty to retreat

[doo-tee tuh ri-treet, dyoo-tee]

noun Law.

a legal principle that requires a person as a first response to back away or flee from a threatening situation rather than attempt self-defense by deadly force: Duty to retreat has always been a debatable doctrine.

Compare stand your ground.

Origin of duty to retreat

First recorded in 1780–90

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018