law of nations

noun

1. international law.

law of nations

noun

1. another term for international law

Word History and Origins

Origin of law of nations¹

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

On matters of immigration and asylum, E.U. law, which regulates the qualifications for asylum in member states, takes precedence over the laws of nations.

From New York Times

Cases have been filed under the Alien Torts Statute, which gives U.S. courts jurisdiction in instances concerning “violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States.”

From New York Times

But while their attitude was very Europe-centric, the legal notion that planting a flag was an act of establishing sovereignty quickly stuck and became accepted worldwide as part and parcel of the law of nations.

From Scientific American

Arab Bank that foreign corporations cannot be sued under the 1789 Alien Tort Statute, which was originally intended to punish piracy and injuries to ambassadors under the common “law of nations.”

From Wall Street Journal

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