Meanings
- uncountableSynonym of international law.
A person commits piracy who does any act that, by the law of nations, is piracy.
2020, Parliament of Singapore, “Penal Code 1871”, in Republic of Singapore Government Gazette, 2020 R. Ed. edition, 130B(1), page 87Synonyms: international law
- EarlyModernarchaicuncountableThe shared set of legal principles said to be recognized by most peoples in the world; natural law.
But for the most part the Law of Nations is nothing else but Equity, and the Law of Nature and Reason, which standeth as the common Rule among men, appointed of God, by which they may know; and crave each from other their Rights […]
1693, James Dalrymple Stair, The Institutions of the Law of Scotland […], 2nd edition, page 62 more examples
And this is the Law, not of the Persians alone (which yet was the Law of a hundred twentie seven Provinces;) nor ours alone (and so may seeme to be the Law of Nations) but, that which strikes it home, by vertue of this enrolement here, is the Law of God; […]
1616 August 5, Lancelot Andrewes, “A Sermon Preached Before the Kings Maiestie at Burleigh neere Okeham […]”, in XCVI. Sermons, 2nd edition, published 1632, page 848But this is monstrous, and unchristian, to say, That servants are wholly at their Masters command; and that by the Law of Nations: What? to murder, steal, lye at their commands? So they must, if this assertion of his be generally true; Is there no difference between the servant, and the asse, by the Law of Nations, or Nature?
1652, Daniel Cawdrey, Herbert Palmer, Sabbatum Redivivum: Or the Christian Sabbath Vindicated […], volume 2, page 146
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of international law.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe body of laws governing relations between nations
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latiniūs gentium
- Englishlaw of nations
Calque of Latin iūs gentium, originally meaning legal principles that are general to humanity. The sense “international law” became standard in the 17th–18th centuries, partly from reanalysis as referring to the law that pertains to nations as distinct entities, and partly from the supposition that any law governing relations between states must transcend the states themselves. See also English jus gentium, directly borrowed.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian международно право
- международно право (meždunarodno pravo)international law — see also international law
Chinese Mandarin 國際法 /国际法
- 國際法 /国际法 (guójìfǎ)international law — see also international law
Finnish kansainvälinen oikeus
- kansainvälinen oikeusinternational law — see also international law
French droit des gens
- droit des gensinternational law — see also international law
German Völkerrecht
- Völkerrechtinternational law — see also international law
Japanese 万民法
- 万民法 (banminhō)international law — see also international law
Korean 만민법
- 만민법 (manminbeop)international law — see also international law
Polish prawo narodów, prawo międzynarodowe
- prawo narodówinternational law — see also international law
- prawo międzynarodoweinternational law — see also international law
Spanish derecho de gentes
- derecho de gentesinternational law — see also international law
Cite this entry
law of nations. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/law%20of%20nations
“law of nations.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/law%20of%20nations. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “law of nations,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/law%20of%20nations.
Source: law of nations on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.