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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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  1. an act or situation that is used to justify a war
    Word OriginLatin, from casus ‘fall’ and belli, genitive of bellum ‘war’.
See casus belli in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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