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

See Examples For:

international law

Some of those strikes could violate international law, which forbids attacking civilian infrastructure.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

China said the missile test "was not directed at any country" and breached no international law.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

It was carried out in accordance with international law and “not directed against any specific country or target,” he added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Doe, which hasn’t received much attention but got federal courts out of the business of hearing claims for alleged violations of international law.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

By the time graduation rolled around, I’d decided I wanted to go to law school, with a specific focus in international law.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad