Veto

Veto, in politics, the power of the executive to reject legislation. It is a Latin word meaning “I forbid,” pronounced by the Roman tribunes when they exercised their right to block laws passed by the Senate. Under the U.S. Constitution (Art. I, Sect. 7), the president can veto any bill passed by Congress, but this can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in both houses. In the Security Council of the United Nations, the 5 permanent members (China, France, Great Britain, the United States, and Russia) possess a veto over proceedings.