embargo

UK: /ɪmˈbɑː^rgəʊ/ US: /ɛmˈbɑrgoʊ/ ,(em bär′gō)

Inflections of 'embargo' (n): npl: embargoes

Inflections of 'embargo' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

embargoes

v 3rd person singular

embargoing

v pres p

embargoed

v past

embargoed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

em•bar•go /ɛmˈbɑrgoʊ/   n., pl. -goes, v., -goed, -go•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. Business, Government a restriction on commerce, esp. a government order prohibiting the movement of ships into or out of its ports, or restricting certain freight for shipment.

v. [~ + object]

2. to impose an embargo on:
   The U.S. embargoed that enemy country.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

em•bar•go  (em bär′gō), n., pl. -goes, v., -goed, -go•ing. 
n. 

1. Business, Government an order of a government prohibiting the movement of merchant ships into or out of its ports.
2. Government, Business an injunction from a government commerce agency to refuse freight for shipment, as in case of congestion or insufficient facilities.
3. Business, Government any restriction imposed upon commerce by edict.
4. a restraint or hindrance;
   prohibition.

v.t. 

5. to impose an embargo on.

• Vulgar Latin *imbarricāre, equivalent. to im- im-¹ + -barricāre (*barr(a) bar¹ + -icāre causative suffix)
• Spanish, derivative of embargar to hinder, embarrass
• 1595–1605

Synonyms

• 4. ban, restriction, interdiction, postscription.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

embargo / ɛmˈbɑːɡəʊ/ noun ( -goes)

1. a government order prohibiting the departure or arrival of merchant ships in its ports
2. any legal stoppage of commerce
3. a restraint, hindrance, or prohibition

verb ( -goes, -going, -goed)(transitive)

1. to lay an embargo upon
2. to seize for use by the state

Etymology: 16th Century: from Spanish, from embargar, from Latin im- + barra bar¹