Legal Definitions - embargo

Definition: Embargo is a government's action of holding private ships of an offending nation found in its ports during wartime or peacetime. It is also known as a hostile embargo.

Example: During the Gulf War, the United States imposed an embargo on Iraq's ships to prevent them from transporting weapons or other goods that could be used against the US or its allies.

Explanation: The example illustrates how the US government used an embargo to restrict Iraq's ability to transport goods during the war. By holding Iraq's ships in US ports, the US government prevented Iraq from using them to transport weapons or other goods that could be used against the US or its allies.