casus belli
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In his speech announcing the war, Mr. Trump explained the extensive casus belli to the American people.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026
The comments prompted alarm among U.S. officials who feared he was once again formulating a casus belli ahead of possible new military action against Ukraine.
From Washington Post • Feb. 3, 2022
One of the few voices that challenged Polk’s casus belli was Abraham Lincoln, then serving in Congress.
From The New Yorker • May 13, 2019
An act of war, or casus belli, is supposed to be an action that justifies a military response — something along the lines, historically, of sinking a battleship or assassinating an archduke.
From New York Times • Dec. 12, 2017
Others attacked this conclusion, and the skeletons became one of the casus belli of the evolution wars.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
