uti possidetis

[ yoo-tahy pos-i-dee-tis ]

/ ˈyu taɪ ˌpɒs ɪˈdi tɪs /

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noun International Law.

the principle that vests in either of the belligerents at the end of a war all territory actually occupied and controlled by them.

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Origin of uti possidetis

From Latin utī possidētis literally, “as you possess, as you hold”

Words nearby uti possidetis

utility truck, utility wear, utilization, utilize, ut infra, uti possidetis, utmost, utmost good faith, Utnapishtim, Uto-Aztecan, Utopia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use uti possidetis in a sentence

Cum nec rebus suis uti, ut libet, vel fari qu velint, et gravissimis opprimuntur pecuniarum exactionibus.
View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages, Vol. 3 (of 3)|Henry Hallam
Sed et gladium, quo tuto uti possit, summa ab eo cura conscisci iussit.
Beowulf|R. W. Chambers
Maiore siquidem corpore erat, quam ut alienis armis uti posset.
Beowulf|R. W. Chambers
Pastores sunt admoniti ad communionem uti, non musto aut aliis liquoribus illicitis, sed puro vino, juxta institutionem.
Notes and Queries, Number 137, June 12, 1852|Various

Nihil vero est iniquius illis, qui nullam putant esse eloquentiam, nisi uti nihil est praeter eloquentiam.
The Histories of Polybius, Vol. I (of 2)|Polybius

British Dictionary definitions for uti possidetis

uti possidetis

/ (ˈjuːtaɪ ˌpɒsɪˈdiːtɪs) /

noun

international law the rule that territory and other property remains in the hands of the belligerent state actually in possession at the end of a war unless otherwise provided for by treaty

Word Origin for uti possidetis

from Latin, literally: as you possess

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012