international law

American  

noun

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

---

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

---

international law Cultural  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of international law

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

All of this violates both domestic and international law.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei condemned the Bandar Abbas attack as a “gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter,” the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency External link reported Thursday.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

The International Civil Aviation Organization and the US-based Organization of American States corroborated this and accused Cuba of violating international law.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

In 1945, there was no way under national or international law that the operatives of the Nazi state could be tried.

From Salon • May 18, 2026

Supreme Court ruled the death penalty for nonhomicides unconstitutional and international law strongly disfavors the practice.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander