veto

[ vee-toh ]

noun

, plural ve·toes.

1. the power or right vested in one branch of a government to cancel or postpone the decisions, enactments, etc., of another branch, especially the right of a president, governor, or other chief executive to reject bills passed by the legislature.
2. the exercise of this right.
3. Also called veto message. a document exercising such right and setting forth the reasons for such action.
4. a nonconcurring vote by which one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council can overrule the actions or decisions of the meeting on matters other than procedural.
5. an emphatic prohibition of any sort.
6. pocket veto.

verb (used with object)

, ve·toed, ve·to·ing.

1. to reject (a proposed bill or enactment) by exercising a veto.
2. to prohibit emphatically.

veto

/ ˈviːtəʊ /

noun

1. the power to prevent legislation or action proposed by others; prohibition

   the presidential veto

2. the exercise of this power
3. Also calledveto message government a document containing the reasons why a chief executive has vetoed a measure

verb

1. to refuse consent to (a proposal, esp a government bill)
2. to prohibit, ban, or forbid

   her parents vetoed her trip

veto

¹

1. The power of a president or governor to reject a bill proposed by a legislature by refusing to sign it into law. The president or governor actually writes the word veto ( Latin for “I forbid”) on the bill and sends it back to the legislature with a statement of his or her objections. The legislature may choose to comply by withdrawing or revising the bill, or it can override the veto and pass the law, by a two-thirds vote in each house.

veto

²

1. A vote that blocks a decision. In the United Nations , for example, each of the five permanent members of the Security Council has the power of veto.

Notes

Originally intended to prevent Congress from passing unconstitutional laws, the veto is now used by the president as a powerful bargaining tool, especially when his objectives conflict with majority sentiment in Congress. ( See also checks and balances .)

Derived Forms

• ˈvetoer, noun
• ˈvetoless, adjective

Other Words From

• veto·er noun
• pre·veto noun plural prevetoes verb (used with object) prevetoed prevetoing
• re·veto verb (used with object) revetoed revetoing
• un·vetoed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of veto¹

First recorded in 1620–30, veto is from the Latin word vetō I forbid

Word History and Origins

Origin of veto¹

C17: from Latin: I forbid, from vetāre to forbid

Example Sentences

They were looking for “electorally generated veto points” — that is to say, elected bodies that could block change.

From Vox

It took about a year, but they changed that golden-share, that veto power over major transactions into what they called the Public Interest Foundation.

From MIT Technology Review

A state law passed just before Ikrata’s arrival gave the city of San Diego an effective veto at SANDAG.

From Voice of San Diego

If reformers hope to succeed in curbing overpolicing, they will first have to overcome the challenge of underpolicing, which has often allowed officers to exercise an effective veto on reform.

From ProPublica

San Diego needs support from just two other cities to exercise a veto.

From Voice of San Diego

Immediately, there was a national groundswell of voices calling for Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to veto the bill.

From The Daily Beast

By giving an artistic veto to a madman, we submit to the mindset of a slave.

From The Daily Beast

In his veto message, Christie also chided Democratic lawmakers for “using their lawmaking authority to play politics.”

From The Daily Beast

With the second veto on Friday, however, all bets seemed to be off.

From The Daily Beast

In fact, because the House never voted, he never got the chance to sign or veto anything.

From The Daily Beast

The worthy knight not being now alive to veto the project, a figure of him has been placed opposite the College in Edmund Street.

From Project Gutenberg

It made me furious, too, to see my ambition nipped with the frost of a possible veto from Miss Smawl.

From Project Gutenberg

This protection was exercised mainly through the use of the veto power given to the tribunes.

From Project Gutenberg

And this repeal is demanded because a single State interposes her veto, and threatens resistance!

From Project Gutenberg

To make it possible for the tribunes to give such protection, the veto had been granted to them.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ban
• denial
• embargo
• prohibition

More About Veto

What does veto mean?

A veto is the right of one branch of government to reject or prohibit a decision of another branch. It’s also called veto power.

The most well-known type of veto is the ability of the President of the United States to veto legislation that passes both houses of Congress. When a president vetoes legislation, the legislation goes back to Congress, which can override the veto, rewrite the legislation so that the president signs it, or abandon the legislation.

A veto is also an instance of this right, as in The president’s veto of the new law was unexpected and shocked Congress.

A veto is also the document that spells out a veto and the reasons for it. This document is also called a veto message.

Within the United Nations, a veto is a vote by one of the permanent members of the Security Council that differs from the other members’ votes. For example, if four of the five votes is a yay vote, the veto is a nay vote.

Outside of politics, a veto is a strong rejection of any sort. For example, you might propose that your family get a dog. If your parents put a veto on your proposal, they reject the idea of getting a dog. 

To veto is to reject a decision by exercising veto power, as in Maya’s grandmother vetoed the idea of sharing family recipes on social media.

Example: Although the president vetoed the bill, there were enough votes in Congress to pass it anyway.

Where does veto come from?

The first records of the term veto come from around the 1620s. It comes from the Latin vetō, meaning “I forbid.” The Latin word was used by Roman tribunes of the people to protest any measures of the Senate or magistrates. 

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of veto?

• vetoer (noun)
• preveto (noun)
• reveto (verb)
• unvetoed (adjective) 

What are some synonyms for veto?

• ban
• embargo
• reject
• deny

What are some words that share a root or word element with veto?

• pocket veto
• veto power
• veto message

What are some words that often get used in discussing veto?

• checks and balances
• president
• congress

How is veto used in real life?

The word veto is most commonly used in the context of politics, especially in regards to the power of the president to deny legislation. 

So in other words he did not ask him and it was not vetoed

— Lori Magby 🙏🌼📖🕊 (@LoriMagby1) March 13, 2023

From @statehousenews: "As Gov. Charlie Baker weighs a possible veto of climate legislation on his desk, House Speaker @RonMariano is preparing to refile the bill in its entirety on Thursday should the governor reject the bill as passed." Here for this.

— Lindsay Sabadosa (@SabadosaMA) January 13, 2021

wide array of congressional dems are embracing calls for the stimulus to increase to 2,000. klobuchar went on tv to say congress should override his veto instead. incredible stuff.

— jordan (@JordanUhl) December 23, 2020

 

 

Try using veto!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of veto?

A. denial
B. approval
C. ban
D. prohibition