US /ɪmˈbɑrɡoʊ/ UK /ɛmˈbɑːɡəʊ/
noun verb

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    an official ban on trade or commerce with a country

    The embargo cut off the nation's access to foreign oil.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · an official ban on trade or... banprohibitionrestrictionblockadeinterdictionproscription
Opposites
Word family
Derived forms embargoed
Related forms barbarrierembarrass

Etymology

From Spanish embargo ('seizure, prohibition'), from embargar ('to impede, restrain'), from Vulgar Latin *imbarricare, from in- ('in') + barra ('bar').

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