Abstract: The study describes, the conceptual content of “humanitarian intervention” definition. The researchers analyzed the views of the leading Western scholars on the issue of humanitarian intervention, a series of possible definitions that exist in the modern doctrine is presented and compared, the problem of theoretical and normative correlation concerning “humanitarian intervention” definition is studied. In order to develop a correct legal definition of a humanitarian intervention the definitional functions are revealed, i.e., the relationships expressing the concepts that are given at the determination of a phenomenon.