embargo

American  

[em-bahr-goh] / ɛmˈbɑr goʊ /

noun

plural

embargoes

1. any restriction imposed upon commerce by edict, especially against a certain country as a penalty or to induce compliance with demands or legal obligations.

   The United Nations fact-finding mission recommended the imposition of an arms embargo and other targeted economic sanctions on the rogue state.

   The software may not be exported into any country with which the United States maintains a trade embargo prohibiting the shipment of goods.

2. an order of a government prohibiting the movement of merchant ships into or out of its ports.

3. an injunction from a government commerce agency to refuse freight for shipment, as in case of congestion or insufficient facilities.

4. a restraint or hindrance; prohibition.

   A one-year embargo on her published dissertation allowed only the title, abstract, and citation information to be released to the public.

   Synonyms:

   proscription, interdiction, restriction, ban

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verb (used with object)

embargoed, embargoing

1. to impose an embargo on.

embargo British  

/ ɛmˈbɑːɡəʊ /

noun

1. a government order prohibiting the departure or arrival of merchant ships in its ports

2. any legal stoppage of commerce

   an embargo on arms shipments

3. a restraint, hindrance, or prohibition

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verb

1. to lay an embargo upon

2. to seize for use by the state

embargo Cultural  

1. A governmental restriction on trade for political purposes. The objective is to put pressure on other governments by prohibiting exports to or imports from those countries.

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Other Word Forms

• preembargo adjective

Etymology

Origin of embargo

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Spanish, derivative of embargar “to hinder, embarrass,” from unattested Vulgar Latin imbarricāre, equivalent to im- im- ¹ + unattested -barricāre ( barr(a) bar ¹ + -icāre causative suffix)

Explanation

An embargo is an order stopping the movement of trade ships into or out of a country. If you can’t get those yummy Swedish fish, perhaps there has been an embargo on trade with Sweden! The fact that ships cannot move during an embargo makes sense from the Latin root of the word, a verb meaning impede with barriers. If one government places a trade embargo on another, it can be an act of war between the two countries. But if an arms embargo is in place, many countries refuse to sell arms to a particular country because it is especially violent. As a verb, the use of embargo is a little broader. If you write an impassioned plea for peace, but the government embargoes it, no one will read your writing.

Example Sentences

Instead, the UK has repeatedly called for the Strait to be re-opened as oil prices surge under Iran's embargo.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

In the oil shock of 1973-74 caused by the Arab oil embargo, the Federal Reserve is generally regarded as having ignored the second-round effects of oil prices and kept monetary policy too easy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

I think it’s good to draw attention to the oil embargo that the U.S. has in effect, but also there is an element to what you did that looked from the outside like disaster tourism.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

We “took” Cuba before President Kennedy initiated his crippling embargo in 1962.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

The more I think about it, an embargo sounds an awful lot like the punishment chair at home whenever we misbehave.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• ban
• restraint