carte blanche
noun
-ˈbläⁿsh
Did you know?
Carte blanche is much like a blank check. In French, carte means "document" and blanche means "blank," so the phrase means "blank document." English retained that literal meaning: a carte blanche was a blank document signed in advance by one party and given to the other with permission to fill in conditions later. Much like blank check, carte blanche also took on the extended meaning "complete freedom."
Examples of carte blanche in a Sentence
Essence, 2 May 2024
In other words, there’s carte blanche acceptance of debt with no assessment of risk.
—Brian Curcio, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for carte blanche 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carte blanche.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near carte blanche
Cite this Entry
“Carte blanche.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carte%20blanche. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy Citation
Share