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

The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 says: “any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes,” would be “of grave concern to the United States.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Supply shocks, like tariffs or the 1970s oil embargo, raise prices and also slow economic growth.

Read more on MarketWatch

The embargo formally became law this month as part of measures aiming to stop what Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calls a "genocide" in the devastated Palestinian territory.

Read more on Barron's

At present, they are under five EFL embargoes and wages have not been paid on time in five of the past seven months.

Read more on BBC

This means putting China at the cutting edge of chip-making, computing and AI - not reliant on Western technology and immune to embargoes.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• ban 
• restraint