Okuzeka
History vocabulary · Wars, Treaties and Diplomacy

Casus belli

Meaning in history, with examples

nounCommon term

In history, casus belli means: An act or circumstance presented as a reason or justification for going to war.

In Turkish: savaş sebebi

How it is used

A stated casus belli need not explain all the underlying causes of a conflict.

Example sentences

  1. The government described the border raid as a casus belli.

    The phrase marks the reason publicly offered for war.

  2. The essay distinguishes the casus belli from longer economic tensions.

    Immediate justification and deeper causation are different questions.

Common collocations

  • provide a casus belli
  • regard as a casus belli
  • campaignA series of military operations carried out over a period of time in one area or with one main aim, such as capturing a city or defeating an enemy army.
  • interpretationA particular explanation of what past events meant or why they happened, based on the evidence and on the historian's questions and point of view.

More terms: Wars, Treaties and Diplomacy

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: