duty to retreat

[ doo-tee tuh ri-treet, dyoo-tee ]
/ ˈdu ti tə rɪˈtrit, ˈdyu ti /

noun Law.

a legal principle that requires a person as a first response to back away or flee from a threatening situation rather than attempt self-defense by deadly force: Duty to retreat has always been a debatable doctrine.

Origin of duty to retreat

First recorded in 1780–90

Words nearby duty to retreat