Definition

1. Noun:

   • An official government order that restricts or prohibits trade with a particular country or the exchange of specific goods: An "embargo" is a legal restriction, often used as a political or economic tool.
   • An official ban on any activity or the publication of information: An "embargo" can also refer to a prohibition, such as on news or scientific data, until a specified time.

2. Verb:

   • To impose an official ban on trade or commercial activity with a country: To "embargo" means to place such a restriction by government order.
   • To officially ban the publication or release of something: To "embargo" also means to prohibit documents, news, or research from being made public.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The United Nations voted to lift the economic embargo.
  • A news embargo was placed on the report until 9 a.m. tomorrow.

• Verb:

  • The council decided to embargo all oil exports from the region.
  • The journal embargoes all accepted articles for six months.

Advanced Usage

• "to be under an embargo": to be subject to a trade or publication ban.
  • The country has been under a strict arms embargo for a decade.
• "to place/put an embargo on": to institute a ban.
  • The government placed an embargo on all cultural exchanges.

Variants and Related Words

• Embargoes (n): Plural form of "embargo".
• Embargoed (adj/verb): The past tense or past participle form, describing something that has been banned.
  • The embargoed goods were seized at the port.

Synonyms

• Noun: Sanction, ban, prohibition, blockade, restriction.
• Verb: Ban, prohibit, bar, restrict, block.

Related Phrases

• Trade embargo: A specific ban on commercial trade.
  • The trade embargo crippled the nation's economy.
• Arms embargo: A prohibition on trading weapons.
  • An international arms embargo was imposed on the warring factions.

Idioms

(This word is typically used in formal or political contexts and is not commonly found in idiomatic expressions. Its usage is generally literal.)

Noun

1. a government order imposing a trade barrier

Verb

1. prevent commerce
   • The U.S. embargoes Libya
2. ban the publication of (documents), as for security or copyright reasons
   • embargoed publications