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Definition of casus belli noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

casus belli

noun

/ˌkeɪsəs ˈbelaɪ/,

/ˌkɑːsʊs ˈbeliː/

/ˌkeɪsəs ˈbelaɪ/,

/ˌkɑːsʊs ˈbeliː/

(plural casus belli)

(formal)

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an act or situation that is used to justify a war
Word OriginLatin, from casus ‘fall’ and belli, genitive of bellum ‘war’.

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