veto

1 of 2

noun

ve·​to ˈvē-(ˌ)tō 

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

veto

2 of 2

verb

vetoed; vetoing

transitive verb

: to refuse to admit or approve : prohibit

also : to refuse assent to (a legislative bill) so as to prevent enactment or cause reconsideration

vetoer

ˈvē-(ˌ)tō-ər 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• ban
• embargo
• interdict
• interdiction
• prohibition
• proscription

Verb

• blackball
• down
• kill
• negative
• nix
• shoot down

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

Opponents of his bill characterized the legislation as being unfair to victims and encouraged its veto by Gov. Moore. —Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2025

If Budapest exercises its veto, the details of the package may change. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025

Verb

This is, for all intents and purposes, is the same bill that Shapiro vetoed in 2023, this time without the huge lobbying effort (the Commonwealth Action website has not been updated since 2023). —Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava vetoed the item on April 11, and commissioners voted 8-4 to overturn her veto on Tuesday morning. —Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin, I forbid, from vetare to forbid

First Known Use

Noun

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1706, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing veto

• line-item veto
• pocket veto
• veto-proof

Rhymes for veto

• peto
• bonito
• burrito
• capito
• mosquito
• negrito
• incognito

Kids 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

veto

2 of 2 verb

: prohibit sense 1

especially : to use one's power of veto

vetoer

-ˌō(-ə)r 

noun

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