embargo

[em-bahr-goh]

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

verb (used with object)

embargoed, embargoing 

1. to impose an embargo on.

embargo

/ 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

verb

1. to lay an embargo upon

2. to seize for use by the state

embargo

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.

Other Word Forms

• preembargo adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of embargo¹

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)

Word History and Origins

Origin of embargo¹

C16: from Spanish, from embargar, from Latin _im- + barra _bar ¹

Example Sentences

There are spoiler embargoes aplenty so there’s a limit to what can be said about the first four new episodes out for review.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

On Monday a Bloomberg headline declared “Israel Is a Markets Favorite” and Germany lifted its partial arms embargo.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Washington recently cleared Trinidad and Tobago to exploit the Dragon gas field in Venezuelan waters despite a US oil and gas embargo, deepening friction between the neighbors.

Read more on Barron's

The UN Security Council on Friday called for an end to cross-border and maritime attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels and urged member states to beef up efforts to implement an arms embargo against them.

Read more on Barron's

There has been a UN arms embargo on the RSF's stronghold of Darfur since 2004, but it has not been extended to the rest of the country despite calls from human rights groups.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• ban 
• restraint