veto
veto Lexical Profile
veto Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A constitutional right or power vested in a chief executive, head of state, or political body to unilaterally reject a bill, decision, or proposal made by a legislature or council.
"The legislature lacked the two-thirds majority required to override the presidential veto."
Any authoritative prohibition, refusal of consent, or act of forbidding an action or plan.
"The finance committee placed an immediate veto on all non-essential travel expenses for the quarter."
• verb
To exercise a constitutional right to reject a decision, bill, or proposal made by a law-making body.
"The governor threatened to veto the budget bill unless the proposed tax increases were removed."
To authoritatively forbid, refuse to accept, or rule out a suggested plan, idea, or course of action.
"Our parents quickly vetoed the idea of adopting a second dog before we moved into a larger house."
• Rhymes for veto
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century directly from Latin veto, literally meaning 'I forbid' (the first-person singular present indicative of vetare), which was the formal declaration used by Roman tribunes of the plebs to block measures enacted by the Senate or magistrates.