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
Hayden Field, CNBC, 23 May 2025
Opponents of the governor’s veto believe the expenditure of that energy is necessary and point to efforts in Washington to unravel DEI as a reason Maryland should commit itself to study reparations.
—Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 22 May 2025
Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 24 May 2025
Jackson disregarded sound economic reasoning, common sense, and the entreaties of Bank supporters and vetoed the recharter bill.
—Time, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for veto
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Noun
Some private companies have what amounts to veto power over any move employees make with their shares, a way to exercise greater control over their cap tables.
—Hayden Field, CNBC, 23 May 2025
Opponents of the governor’s veto believe the expenditure of that energy is necessary and point to efforts in Washington to unravel DEI as a reason Maryland should commit itself to study reparations.
—Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 22 May 2025
Verb
Despite its passage, the bill looks unlikely to become law because Lombardo vetoed a similar bill in 2023.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 24 May 2025
Jackson disregarded sound economic reasoning, common sense, and the entreaties of Bank supporters and vetoed the recharter bill.
—Time, 23 May 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 28 May. 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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