uti possidetis: Meaning and Definition of

u•ti pos•si•de•tis

Pronunciation: (y'tī pos"i-dē'tis), [key]
— Internat. Law. Internat. Law.
  1. the principle that vests in either of the belligerents at the end of a war all territory actually occupied and controlled by them.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.