disembargo: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low / TechnicalFormal, Legal, Technical, Diplomatic
Quick answer
What does “disembargo” mean?
To lift an official ban on trade or shipping.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To lift an official ban on trade or shipping; to release from embargo.
To free from any kind of prohibition or restraint; to allow to proceed after being officially held back.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage, but the term is more likely to appear in British historical or legal texts due to historical maritime prominence. US usage is overwhelmingly in formal legal/diplomatic contexts.
Connotations
Identical: carries formal, official, and legalistic connotations in both dialects.
Frequency
Extremely rare in both. If used, it is most likely in specialized legal, historical, or diplomatic documents.
Grammar
How to Use “disembargo” in a Sentence
The government disembargoed [OBJECT: the ship/the goods/the trade].They ordered the disembargo of [OBJECT].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “disembargo” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The Admiralty agreed to disembargo the merchant vessels once the diplomatic crisis was resolved.
- The court ordered the goods to be disembargoed immediately.
American English
- The State Department moved to disembargo trade with the nation following the successful peace talks.
- Customs was authorized to disembargo the seized shipments.
adverb
British English
- []
American English
- []
adjective
British English
- []
American English
- []
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In international trade, a company might petition a government to disembargo its goods held at a port.
Academic
Found in historical texts discussing naval blockades or the legal history of international trade.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Used in legal documents, diplomatic communiqués, and maritime law to denote the formal lifting of a trade prohibition.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “disembargo”
- Using it as a noun (e.g., 'They issued a disembargo'). The primary use is as a verb. The noun form is 'lifting of an embargo'.
- Confusing it with 'disembark' (to leave a ship or aircraft).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is extremely rare and specialized. In modern contexts, people say 'lift the embargo' or 'remove sanctions' instead.
Its standard and almost exclusive use is as a transitive verb. Using it as a noun is non-standard and likely to be seen as an error. The correct noun phrase is 'the lifting of the embargo'.
'Disembargo' is about ending a legal ban on trade/shipping. 'Disembark' means to leave a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle. They are completely different words.
You are most likely to find it in historical texts, formal legal documents related to maritime or international trade law, or diplomatic correspondence concerning the end of sanctions.
To lift an official ban on trade or shipping.
Disembargo is usually formal, legal, technical, diplomatic in register.
Disembargo: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdɪs.ɪmˈbɑː.ɡəʊ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌdɪs.emˈbɑːr.ɡoʊ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of DIS-EMBARGO: 'dis' means 'the opposite of' + 'embargo' (a ban). So, it's the act of un-banning trade or shipping.
Conceptual Metaphor
REMOVING A LOCK OR BARRIER (The embargo is a gate that is closed; to disembargo is to open it.)
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary meaning of 'disembargo'?