casus belli

Definitions

An act seen as justifying or causing a war; an act of war.

Equivalents

9 more languages

العربيةذَرِيعَةُ الْحَرْبِ

Bahasa Indonesiacasus belli

Italianocasus belli

日本語開戦事由開戦理由

한국어개전 리유개전 이유전단전쟁 명분+ 1 more

Polskicasus belli

Русскийказус белли

ไทยเหตุแห่งสงคราม

Türkçesavaş nedeni

Examples

“In ancient times, repeatedly failing to pay⟳ tribute by a vassal state was often used as a casus belli by the patron.”

“The Executive, however, can do many acts which would constitute a casus belli, and thus indirectly result⟳ in war; but this does not imply in the Executive a concurrent power to declare⟳ war, and the war which would result⟳ would be one declared by a foreign power.”

“Algiers seethed, and this was the casus belli for the ‘ultras’ to attempt⟳ a general strike⟳.”

“Furthermore, if the French had airily waved away one potential casus belli, more than enough causes of potential conflict remained embedded in the Aix-la-Chapelle Treaty.”

“Had Saddam taken only the Rumaila oil field and the Bubiyan and Warba islands, there would have⟳ been no casus belli.”

“And Washington needs to communicate clearly with not only its allies but also the American public on the risks involved if spillover from Ukraine into Article 5 territory verges on a casus belli — an event that provokes a war.”

CEFR level