veto

[ vee-toh ]

See synonyms for: veto vetoed on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural ve·toes.Also called veto power (for defs. 1, 4).

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.
the exercise of this right.

Also called veto message. a document exercising such right and setting forth the reasons for such action.
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.
an emphatic prohibition of any sort.
pocket veto.

verb (used with object),ve·toed, ve·to·ing.

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

Origin of veto

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

Other words from veto

ve·to·er, noun
pre·ve·to, noun, plural pre·ve·toes, verb (used with object), pre·ve·toed, pre·ve·to·ing.
re·ve·to, verb (used with object), re·ve·toed, re·ve·to·ing.
un·ve·toed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use veto in a sentence

If Democrats win a supermajority in the state Senate, they will have total veto power over the state’s projected 26 congressional districts.
Republicans Won Almost Every Election Where Redistricting Was At Stake | Nathaniel Rakich (nathaniel.rakich@fivethirtyeight.com) | November 18, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
When even that wasn’t enough to get support, she pushed forward anyway, yet lacked the votes to overcome a mayoral veto.
The Rise and Fall (for Now) of Georgette Gómez | Andrew Keatts | November 16, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
This specter was an unmistakable motivating factor for so-called “court-packing” by conservatives to cement a kind of veto power against policy gains for LGBTQ people and other long-ignored communities.
Cure for a sickening appointment | Hans Johnson | October 30, 2020 | Washington Blade
I had that conversation with him, and it was pretty clear … so I knew that I needed to have six Council members to override that veto.
Voice Poll: More County Residents Support Reallocating Police Funding Than Don’t | Sara Libby | October 28, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
Even in the absence of the filibuster, the American political system is thick with veto points and clashing institutions.
The definitive case for ending the filibuster | Ezra Klein | October 1, 2020 | Vox

I had chosen a seat by the window, but Poitras vetoed the location.
Laura Poitras on Snowden's Unrevealed Secrets | Marlow Stern | December 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The New Jersey governor vetoed a ban on a rarely used cruel practice for pregnant pigs.
Christie Bows to Iowa’s Pork Kings on Gestation Crates | Olivia Nuzzi | November 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
President Obama has vetoed only three bills, an historic low.
Voters Remind D.C. That the Economy Still Sucks | Stuart Stevens | November 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
President G.W. Bush vetoed 12, Bill Clinton 27, George H.W, Bush 44, Ronald Reagan 78.
What the GOP Will Do If It Wins Congress | Stuart Stevens | October 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Consider how First Lady Michelle Obama vetoed pantyhose and made bare legs OK for the rest of us.
Kate Middleton’s “Bottomgate” Shows Why Women Still Need Slips | Keli Goff | May 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“Flood”—Cleveland vetoed an unprecedented number of bills during his term.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
In order to protect the slave trade benefits for England, the Governor vetoed this proposal.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia | Dorothy M. Torpey
I think a few recommended England, but this was promptly vetoed because England was at war and the channel was choked with mines.
Ways of War and Peace | Delia Austrian
He had fully intended to interview the Admiral, but now he was somewhat relieved to find that Dacres had vetoed the proposal.
The Dreadnought of the Air | Percy F. Westerman
For example, President Madison vetoed the first internal improvement bill.
Proceedings of the Second National Conservation Congress | Various

British Dictionary definitions for veto

veto

/ (ˈviːtəʊ) /

nounplural -toes

the power to prevent legislation or action proposed by others; prohibition: the presidential veto
the exercise of this power

Also called: veto message US government a document containing the reasons why a chief executive has vetoed a measure

verb-toes, -toing or -toed (tr)

to refuse consent to (a proposal, esp a government bill)
to prohibit, ban, or forbid: her parents vetoed her trip

Origin of veto

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

Derived forms of veto

vetoer, noun
vetoless, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for veto (1 of 2)

veto

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.

veto

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.

Notes for veto

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.)

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