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

The organisation UK Lawyers for Israel has published a "Q&A on International Law of Armed Conflict and Gaza".

From BBC • Sep. 12, 2025

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

Sabotage against energy infrastructure has been common in recent conflicts in the Middle East, including Syria and Iraq, said Cecilie Hellestveit, an expert on international law at the Norwegian Academy of International Law.

From New York Times • Oct. 1, 2022

Eugene Kontorovich, an Israeli-American professor at the George Mason University Scalia Law School and director of its Center for the Middle East and International Law, said it was a “very interesting” and “very serious” case.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2022

To-day the society has more than twelve hundred members, and since 1907 it has regularly held annual meetings and issued its quarterly publication, "The American Journal of International Law."

From Under Four Administrations From Cleveland to Taft by Straus, Oscar S.