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
Synonyms
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
USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
Advertisement The vote Thursday was 12 in favor of membership for Palestinians with one abstention plus the U.S. veto.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
The lawmakers filed a lawsuit earlier this week that asks a Dane County Circuit judge to declare Evers' vetoes on the bill unconstitutional, arguing the bill itself was not eligible to be partially vetoed.
—Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024
Kelly this session also vetoed a single-rate income tax pushed heavily by Republicans, who were unable to override her veto.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
The issue stems from a March decision by the city council to override the mayor’s veto of a minimum wage for rideshare drivers, set at the local rate of $15.57 an hour.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Following Monday’s veto, a group that goes by the Sound Money Defense League and advocates for public investments in gold and silver, denounced the governor’s decision.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2024
Washington must also signal its support for an all-inclusive Ethiopian national dialogue, in which Abiy’s ruling Prosperity Party will be a key participant, but without veto over other participants or the overall agenda.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
However, the General Assembly later overrode the governor’s veto.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2024
Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024
The United States vetoed the measure, casting the only vote against it in the 15-member Council.
—Michael Levenson, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
The Legislature can place measures on the ballot directly, and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs has no legal right to veto them.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Kelly this session also vetoed a single-rate income tax pushed heavily by Republicans, who were unable to override her veto.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
While any changes are likely to be vetoed by Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, who is aligned with the populist former governing party, Law and Justice, a presidential election due in May next year could be a turning point.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
In Minnesota, state lawmakers opened the door to reconfiguring the bill that Gov. Walz vetoed before commissioning a state study of the issue.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Bills can become state law without the governor’s signature if they are not vetoed within five days after being presented to the governor.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2024
Chinese diplomats, like Russian ones, met with Hamas’s leaders and provided diplomatic cover for the terrorist group, vetoing UN Security Council resolutions that would have condemned Hamas.
—Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2024
Noun
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the US veto as unfair, unethical, and unjustified.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
Advertisement The vote Thursday was 12 in favor of membership for Palestinians with one abstention plus the U.S. veto.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
The lawmakers filed a lawsuit earlier this week that asks a Dane County Circuit judge to declare Evers' vetoes on the bill unconstitutional, arguing the bill itself was not eligible to be partially vetoed.
—Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024
Kelly this session also vetoed a single-rate income tax pushed heavily by Republicans, who were unable to override her veto.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
The issue stems from a March decision by the city council to override the mayor’s veto of a minimum wage for rideshare drivers, set at the local rate of $15.57 an hour.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Following Monday’s veto, a group that goes by the Sound Money Defense League and advocates for public investments in gold and silver, denounced the governor’s decision.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2024
Washington must also signal its support for an all-inclusive Ethiopian national dialogue, in which Abiy’s ruling Prosperity Party will be a key participant, but without veto over other participants or the overall agenda.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
However, the General Assembly later overrode the governor’s veto.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
The lawmakers filed a lawsuit earlier this week that asks a Dane County Circuit judge to declare Evers' vetoes on the bill unconstitutional, arguing the bill itself was not eligible to be partially vetoed.
—Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024
The United States vetoed the measure, casting the only vote against it in the 15-member Council.
—Michael Levenson, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
The Legislature can place measures on the ballot directly, and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs has no legal right to veto them.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Kelly this session also vetoed a single-rate income tax pushed heavily by Republicans, who were unable to override her veto.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
While any changes are likely to be vetoed by Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, who is aligned with the populist former governing party, Law and Justice, a presidential election due in May next year could be a turning point.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
In Minnesota, state lawmakers opened the door to reconfiguring the bill that Gov. Walz vetoed before commissioning a state study of the issue.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Bills can become state law without the governor’s signature if they are not vetoed within five days after being presented to the governor.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2024
Chinese diplomats, like Russian ones, met with Hamas’s leaders and provided diplomatic cover for the terrorist group, vetoing UN Security Council resolutions that would have condemned Hamas.
—Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'veto.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Veto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veto. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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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