Veto
The power to say no. Line item or wholesale. A check that can block. If applicable.
How We Say It
vee·toh
Where It Comes From
Latin veto — I forbid. Used by Roman tribunes who could block actions of the Senate to protect plebeian interests. The word entered constitutional language directly — the Latin term retained because it was already in use for the concept.
How It's Been Used
In the US: the President's power to reject legislation, overridable by two-thirds of Congress. In the UN Security Council: the five permanent members (US, UK, France, Russia, China) each hold absolute veto power over binding resolutions — a design that has blocked action on numerous crises including Syria and Ukraine. 'Pocket veto' — allowing a bill to die by not signing it at the end of a congressional session — is a specific American variant. The veto is simultaneously a protection against majority overreach and a mechanism for blocking legitimate action.