plural vetoes
1
: an authoritative prohibition : interdiction
2
a
: a power of one department or branch of a government to forbid or prohibit finally or provisionally the carrying out of projects attempted by another department
especially
: a power vested in a chief executive to prevent permanently or temporarily the enactment of measures passed by a legislature
b(1)
: the exercise of such authority
(2)
: a message communicating the reasons of an executive and especially the president of the U.S. for vetoing a proposed law
vetoed; vetoing
: to refuse to admit or approve : prohibit
also
: to refuse assent to (a legislative bill) so as to prevent enactment or cause reconsideration
Examples of veto in a Sentence
Noun
a veto of a bill
Are there enough votes in Congress to override the President's veto?
The President has the veto over new legislation.
The President may choose to exercise his veto.
Verb
The President vetoed the bill.
We wanted to do a cross-country trip, but our parents vetoed it.
She vetoed several restaurants before we could agree on one.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
His veto of the strikers bill was expected and came with a consistent and clearly stated rationale.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2025
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2025
Just last month, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Dorothy Shea issued a veiled warning to the world body upon vetoing an anti-Israel draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council.
—Beth Bailey , David Hammelburg, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for veto
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Noun
The critics hang their hat on the War Powers Resolution (WPR), a law passed by Congress in 1973 over President Richard Nixon’s veto.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
His veto of the strikers bill was expected and came with a consistent and clearly stated rationale.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2025
Verb
In addition, Lamont caused concern among union members by vetoing a controversial bill that would have awarded unemployment benefits to striking workers.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2025
Just last month, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Dorothy Shea issued a veiled warning to the world body upon vetoing an anti-Israel draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council.
—Beth Bailey , David Hammelburg, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for veto
Cite this Entry
“Veto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veto. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
veto
1 of 2 noun
ve·to
ˈvēt-ō 
plural vetoes
1
: a forbidding of something by a person in authority
2
a
: the power of the head of a government to prevent a bill passed by a legislature from becoming law
b
: the use of such authority
Etymology
Noun
from Latin veto "I forbid," from vetare "to forbid"
Legal Definition
veto
1 of 2 noun
ve·to
ˈvē-tō
plural vetoes
1
: an authoritative prohibition
2
a
: a power vested in a chief executive to prevent permanently or temporarily the enactment of measures passed by a legislature
b
: the exercise of such authority see also pocket veto compare legislative veto
veto
2 of 2 transitive verb
vetoed; vetoing
: to refuse to admit or approve
specifically
: to refuse assent to (a legislative bill) so as to prevent enactment or cause reconsideration see also override
Etymology
Noun
Latin, I forbid, refuse assent to
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