Meaning & use

embargo

noun·Academic

An official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country.

See it in a sentence

The government imposed an embargo on oil exports to pressure the regime.

Journalists had to respect the embargo and could not publish the story until Monday.

A note on using this word

Also used as a verb ('to embargo') and adjective ('embargoed'), meaning restricted or held back.

Words with a similar meaning

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