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

"There is no international law in the world," he says bitterly.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

"Paying a toll legitimises Iran's coercion and sets a precedent under international law that other regimes may want to pursue," wrote Guntram Wolff, senior researcher at the Brussels-based Bruegel think tank.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

“Nothing about establishing a moon base, a permanent presence on the moon, is unlawful in international law, and it could just be that dominance is rhetoric.”

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

While Iranian officials compare the proposed toll system to the practice of the Suez Canal, which generates billions of dollars each year for Egypt, these two waterways are fundamentally different under international law.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

We are all bits and pieces of history and literature and international law, Byron, Tom Paine, Machiavelli, or Christ, it's here.

From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury