veto

Veto is the power of one person or body to prohibit a course of action chosen by another. For example, in business law a veto halts an official action done by a company or firm. Further, a business can grant stockholders / shareholders the right to veto board decisions, thus stopping those decisions from coming to fruition.

In a political context, "veto" usually refers to the power of the President to block or complicate passage of a legislation by refusing to sign it into law. Article One, Section Seven of the U.S. Constitution grants the President Veto Power over all bills passed by the Congress . Congress can override the President's veto by passing the bill again with a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives .

[Last reviewed in July of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

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