Meaning of casus belli | Babel Free

Definitions

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

Equivalents

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