carte blanche

noun

ˈkärt-ˈblänch

-ˈbläⁿsh

plural cartes blanches ˈkärt(s)-ˈblänch

-ˈbläⁿsh

Synonyms of carte blanche next

: full discretionary (see discretion sense 1a) power

was given carte blanche to furnish the house

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

We gave the decorator carte blanche to furnish the house.

Recent Examples on the Web The weight-doesn’t-matter mantra lets manufacturers off the hook, giving them carte blanche to keep cranking out burdensome behemoths. —

Dario Digiulio, Outside Online, 24 Sep. 2024 While this doesn’t necessarily give carte blanche, executives view these restraints as a license to get creative. —

Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 7 Oct. 2024 She was given carte blanche to invite a range of guests from across the fashion spectrum, from independent designers to activists. —

Rhonda Richford, WWD, 16 Sep. 2024 Once Riyadh believed that the carte blanche had been withdrawn, diplomacy became their best option. —

Trita Parsi, Foreign Affairs, 15 Mar. 2023 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.