veto
noun
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Definition of veto
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : an authoritative prohibition : interdiction
2a : 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
veto
verbDefinition of veto (Entry 2 of 2)
: to refuse to admit or approve : prohibit also : to refuse assent to (a legislative bill) so as to prevent enactment or cause reconsideration
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Other Words from veto
Verb
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noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for veto
Synonyms: Noun
ban, embargo, interdict, interdiction, prohibition, proscription
Synonyms: Verb
blackball, down, kill, negative, nix, shoot down
Antonyms: Noun
Antonyms: Verb
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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: Noun
The driver gets the all-powerful veto on music, full stop. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "Travelogue Podcast: Things You Should Never, Ever Do on a Road Trip," 3 Nov. 2018 So the chances of a U.S. veto in the council on any armed force to protect Palestinian civilians or a civilian observer mission are high. — Fox News, "UN chief: 1 option to protect Palestinians is a new force," 17 Aug. 2018 To confirm a nominee requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament, which effectively gives the opposition a veto on candidates — and tends to elevate moderate judges who are palatable to a wide spectrum of voters. — Joanna Slater, Washington Post, "Selecting a Supreme Court justice doesn’t have to be a battle royal. Here’s how other countries do it.," 10 July 2018 The clash also carries a risk of a deepening rift over the bloc’s next multiannual budget, with Poland -- the biggest net beneficiary of the current fiscal plan -- having a veto over the total sum. — Marek Strzelecki, Bloomberg.com, "EU Says Poland Must Do More to Quell Concern Over Court Revamps," 25 June 2018 There's also a people's veto on the ballot to try and start the process of getting rid of it. — Chris Cillizza, CNN, "Point/CounterPoint: Maine's 'ranked choice,' Trump's Sanford snub and what else to watch tonight," 12 June 2018 In Louisiana, lawmakers very rarely override governor's vetoes. — Julia O'donoghue, NOLA.com, "John Bel Edwards vetoes bills from GOP members of budget committee," 30 May 2018 Lawmakers voted to override the Republican governor's veto of the tax increase to fund education. — Bree Burkitt, azcentral, "#RedforEd teacher walkout follows lead of West Virginia and Oklahoma," 21 Apr. 2018 Poe has been demanding lawmakers override the governor's veto on Twitter. — Chris Mayhew, Cincinnati.com, "NKY school superintendents vent budget frustration on social media," 13 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
On Sunday night, President Sergio Mattarella ended plans to form Western Europe's first populist government by vetoing their euroskeptic pick for economy minister. — NBC News, "Italy's political pandemonium is remarkable even by Italian standards," 29 May 2018 On Sunday night, President Sergio Mattarella ended plans to form Western Europe’s first populist government by vetoing their euroskeptic pick for economy minister. — Nicole Winfield, The Seattle Times, "Italy’s political pandemonium, explained in 4 points," 28 May 2018 The outgoing Republican, for example, vetoed three different bills to expand solar energy in New Mexico. — Dylan Scott, Vox, "Democratic wins in these 9 states will have seismic policy consequences," 9 Nov. 2018 Yet again, women’s narratives are repeatedly and systematically ignored, silenced, and vetoed. — Adiba Khan, Teen Vogue, "California Governor's Veto of Abortion Care on Campus Is Another Example of Men Not Listening to Women," 8 Oct. 2018 The defense bill - which sets out policy priorities for the Pentagon on a wide sweep of issues - could be painful for Trump to veto. — Erica Werner And Josh Dawsey, chicagotribune.com, "Senate, House GOP at odds over rare rebuke of Trump on national security," 5 July 2018 Oklahoma City is expected to explore possible trade partners while also keeping in mind that Anthony has the ability to veto a trade. — Chris Chavez, SI.com, "Report: Thunder Working On Parting Ways With Carmelo Anthony Via Trade, Stretch Provision," 6 July 2018 The mandate for the mechanism expired in late 2017, and Russia vetoed an attempt to renew it. — New York Times, "O.P.C.W., Chemical Weapons Watchdog, Gets Power to Assign Blame," 27 June 2018 This proposed rule would allow a unified Republican minority to effectively veto any potential Democratic speaker, even if that person had received an overall majority of the votes from House members (by receiving every Democratic vote). — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Do the Democrats Even Want Power?," 20 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'veto.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for veto
veto
noun
English Language Learners Definition of veto
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a decision by a person in authority to not allow or approve something (such as a new law)
: the right or power of a person in authority to decide that something (such as a new law) will not be approved
veto
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of veto (Entry 2 of 2)
: to reject (a proposed law) officially : to refuse to allow (a bill) to become a law
: to refuse to allow or accept (something, such as a plan or suggestion)
See the full definition for veto in the English Language Learners Dictionary
veto
noun
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Kids Definition of veto
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : the act of forbidding something by a person in authority
2 : the power of a president, governor, or mayor to prevent something from becoming law
veto
verbKids Definition of veto (Entry 2 of 2)
veto
noun
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Legal Definition of veto
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : an authoritative prohibition
2a : 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
transitive verbLegal Definition of veto (Entry 2 of 2)
: 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
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