international law
noun
: a body of rules that control or affect the rights of nations in their relations with each other
Examples of international law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The government is still waiting for legal advice from its lawyers on whether or not selling arms to Israel is in breach of international law.
—
Luke McGee, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
The Biden administration is under pressure to assess the credibility and reliability of Israel’s assurances that its actions in Gaza are consistent with international law.
—Michael
birnbaum, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signed a letter last week pledging to use U.S. weapons according to international law and to allow U.S.-supported humanitarian aid into Gaza.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
China claims most of the South China Sea as its own, despite an international arbitration panel concluding that position had no basis under international law.
—Reuters, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2024
Israel has promoted the settlements, which much of the international community condemns as a violation of international law.
—Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 23 Mar. 2024
Yes, most of those prisons are within Israel proper, which in itself is a violation of humanitarian international law.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
Some, such as the French finance minister Bruno Le Maire, argued that taking Russian central bank assets directly would violate international law.
—Monika Pronczuk, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
The United Nations and other humanitarian organizations have said there is nowhere safe for those people to go, that no preparations have been made to relocate them, and that any forcible displacement would be a violation of international law.
—Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Luke McGee, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
The Biden administration is under pressure to assess the credibility and reliability of Israel’s assurances that its actions in Gaza are consistent with international law.
—Michael
birnbaum, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signed a letter last week pledging to use U.S. weapons according to international law and to allow U.S.-supported humanitarian aid into Gaza.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
China claims most of the South China Sea as its own, despite an international arbitration panel concluding that position had no basis under international law.
—Reuters, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2024
Israel has promoted the settlements, which much of the international community condemns as a violation of international law.
—Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 23 Mar. 2024
Yes, most of those prisons are within Israel proper, which in itself is a violation of humanitarian international law.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
Some, such as the French finance minister Bruno Le Maire, argued that taking Russian central bank assets directly would violate international law.
—Monika Pronczuk, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
The United Nations and other humanitarian organizations have said there is nowhere safe for those people to go, that no preparations have been made to relocate them, and that any forcible displacement would be a violation of international law.
—Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'international law.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1789, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of international law was
in 1789
Dictionary Entries Near international law
Cite this Entry
“International law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/international%20law. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Legal Definition
international law
noun
: a body of laws, rules, or legal principles that are based on custom, treaties, or legislation and that control or affect the rights and duties of nations in relation to each other compare internal law
More from Merriam-Webster on international law
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about international law
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