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ve·to | \ ˈvē-(ˌ)tō 
\
\ plural vetoes
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
verbvetoed; vetoing
Definition 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
vetoer \ ˈvē-(ˌ)tō-ər \ noun
\ nounSynonyms & Antonyms for veto
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Congress could also override a veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both houses.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Police have cordoned off the area to try to prevent anyone from escaping.," 27 Nov. 2019 Congress could also override a veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both houses.
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Washington Post, "Hong Kong tunnel reopens, campus siege nears end," 27 Nov. 2019 Support was so strong that lawmakers garnered enough votes to override a veto from then-Gov.
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Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, ProPublica, "Separated by Design: Why Affordable Housing Is Built in Areas With High Crime, Few Jobs and Struggling Schools," 25 Nov. 2019 But the incoming supermajority could finally force the measure through — even in the case of a mayoral veto.
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Holly V. Hays, Indianapolis Star, "City-County councilors squabble over pay raise proposal, approve it for council vote," 20 Nov. 2019 And it was kept under wraps long enough to exceed the 72-hour limit for a mayoral veto, Mayor Jim Fouts declared Monday.
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Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, "Warren City Council handed itself lifetime health care; Mayor Fouts vows to block it," 19 Nov. 2019 The Assembly made decisions the same way—governor, advisors and burgesses casting one vote each (the governor did wield a veto).
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Richard Brookhiser, Time, "Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Honored Ideals Far Older Than Four Score and Seven Years," 19 Nov. 2019 Monday marks 100 years since the House and Senate overrode a presidential veto of the Volstead Act, thus making law enforcement of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.
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CBS News, "The legacy of Prohibition, 100 years later," 26 Oct. 2019 For the past three years British politics has hung on problems that are familiar to continental politicians, such as the difficulty of assembling coalitions with minority parties and the power of disgruntled factions to exercise a veto.
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The Economist, "Leaving the European Union is making Britain less British," 26 Oct. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The bill Evers vetoed would have required county officials to consider distance to such places but would remove the state distance requirement.
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Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tony Evers signs bill to remove voting requirement that has turned away people with disabilities," 22 Nov. 2019 In New Hampshire, for the past two years, Chris Sununu, my state’s governor, has vetoed bills that would have helped develop a more robust renewable energy industry.
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Livia Gershon, Longreads, "Power Up," 12 Nov. 2019 Newsom’s predecessor, fellow Democrat Jerry Brown, vetoed a similar law last year.
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BostonGlobe.com, "SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California schools will get to decide if parents can administer medical marijuana to their children on school campuses.," 11 Oct. 2019 Congress voted in April to cut off military support for Saudi Arabia over the Yemen war, legislation Trump vetoed.
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Josh Wingrove, Bloomberg.com, "Trump's Suggestion of Iran Strike Raises Bipartisan Alarm," 16 Sep. 2019 Hong Kong’s legislative council vetoed China’s proposal in June 2015.
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Tripti Lahiri, Quartz, "Hong Kong is burning, five years to the day after Beijing dashed its hopes of democracy," 31 Aug. 2019 His predecessor, Jerry Brown, vetoed a similar proposal last year.
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USA TODAY, "Record grapefruit, light rail win, Snake Road: News from around our 50 states," 29 Aug. 2019 Republican lawmakers sought to expand gun-owner protections in a bill Kasich ultimately vetoed.
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Author: Julie Carr Smyth, Anchorage Daily News, "Ohio Republicans again faced with calls to enact gun reforms," 7 Aug. 2019 The third occupational licensing bill Polis vetoed was Senate Bill 99.
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Anna Staver, The Denver Post, "What we can learn from 3 of the 5 bills Gov. Jared Polis vetoed," 4 June 2019
See MoreThese 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
nounEnglish 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
nounve·to | \ ˈvē-tō \
\ plural vetoes
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
verbvetoed; vetoing
Kids Definition of veto (Entry 2 of 2)
veto
nounve·to | \ ˈvē-tō \
\ plural vetoes
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 verbvetoed; vetoing
Legal 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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Time Traveler for veto
The first known use of veto was in 1629
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