[lahyn-ahy-tuh
m] 
| the power of the executive to veto particular items of a bill without having to veto the entire bill. |
| line-i·tem veto (līn'ī'təm) n. Authority, as of a government executive, to reject provisions of a bill individually. Also called item veto. |
The authority of an executive to veto a specific appropriation in a budget passed by a legislature. Viewing the line-item veto as an effective tactic against pork-barrel legislation, presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush unsuccessfully sought this authority, which many state governors possess, from Congress. Under current law the president must choose between signing or vetoing the entire budget rather than parts (items on budget lines) of it.