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

The entire post-war economic world order was organized by the U.S. and a handful of allies, along with the institutions that undergird global commitments to human rights and international law.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026

Regardless, ICJ decisions are treated as authoritative statements of international law standards by U.N. agencies, the ICC and foreign national courts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

David studied at Aberystwyth and Cambridge before building a successful career in international law.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

Based in The Hague, the ICC was created in 1998 to cement the role of international law in punishing the worst human rights abuses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

I finished talking about my desire to work in international law and how a job at this firm would be the perfect gateway into that field.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad