law of nations
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of law of nations
First recorded in 1540–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With such customs, it is contrary to the law of nations that a city incapable of repelling their attack should stop their progress.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
Antislavery tribunals penalized these companies, which were analogues of modern corporations, for violating the law of nations.
From Slate ● Dec. 1, 2020
The statute allows federal courts to hear “any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States.”
From Washington Post ● Oct. 11, 2017
The law of nations demanded it, he said.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2015
"We obtained recognition of the fact," says Lord Desart, "that, as a body, these rules do amount practically to a statement of what is the essence of the law of nations."
From Great Britain's Sea Policy A Reply to an American Critic reprinted from 'The Atlantic Monthly' by Gilbert Murray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
