veto

UK: /ˈviːtəʊ/ US: /ˈvitoʊ/ ,(vē′tō)

Inflections of 'veto' (n): npl: vetoes

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

vetoes

v 3rd person singular

vetoing

v pres p

vetoed

v past

vetoed

v past p

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

ve•to /ˈvitoʊ/   n., pl. -toes, v. 
n. 

1. Government the power given to one branch of a government to cancel or postpone the decisions or actions of another branch, esp. the right of a president or other chief executive to reject bills passed by the legislature:
   [uncountable] the power of the veto.
2. Government the use or exercise of this power:
   [countable] Another presidential veto was overridden by Congress.
3. Government [uncountable] the power of any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to overrule actions or decisions even if that member is outvoted.
4. [countable] a clear refusal to give permission of any sort.

v. [~ + object]

5. Government to reject (a proposed bill or enactment) by exercising a veto:
   to veto the jobs creation bill.
6. to prohibit, refuse, or disallow very plainly:
   to veto the new plan.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ve•to  (vē′tō), n., pl. -toes, v., -toed, -to•ing. 
n. 

1. Government the power or right vested in one branch of a government to cancel or postpone the decisions, enactments, etc., of another branch, esp. the right of a president, governor, or other chief executive to reject bills passed by the legislature.
2. Government the exercise of this right.
3. Government Also called ve′to mes′sage. a document exercising such right and setting forth the reasons for such action.
4. Government 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.
5. an emphatic prohibition of any sort.
6. Government See pocket veto. 

v.t. 

7. Government to reject (a proposed bill or enactment) by exercising a veto.
8. Government to prohibit emphatically. Also called ve′to pow′er (for defs. 1, 4).

• Latin vetō I forbid
• 1620–30

ve′to•er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

veto / ˈviːtəʊ/ noun ( -toes)

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

verb ( -toes, -toing, -toed)(transitive)

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

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin: I forbid, from vetāre to forbid

ˈvetoer noun