checks and balances

noun

plural in form but sometimes singular in construction

: a system that allows each branch of a government to amend, override, or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power or power beyond its authority

Things that for many decades were givens—the checks and balances on the executive, the role of the judiciary or the civil service, a media free from interference or vilification—now appear vulnerable.

—Emily Maitlis

"I do think that there is an expectation in our country that checks and balances is a good thing," [Senator John] Thune said …

—Stephen Groves

broadly : a system in which power and control is distributed and counterbalanced (as to prevent unethical or harmful actions)

Founders [of startup businesses] benefit from checks and balances. … It makes the company more trustworthy, easier to finance, and less likely to implode. For those same reasons, checks and balances help employees.

—Noam Wasserman

Examples of checks and balances in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This proposal underscores Harris’s commitment to checks and balances, safeguarding democratic processes and ensuring fair immigration outcomes. —Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

The impact may prove to be minimal in the short term but could grow substantially over time, some experts said, while also acknowledging the difficulty of predicting to what extent existing checks and balances might constrain Trump. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024

Witchcraft is a lot about intention and exchange and checks and balances. —Adam B. Vary, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024

While the president will work to gain support for his or her fiscal policy strategy, it will likely only be partially implemented at best given our checks and balances. —Stuart Robertson, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

checks and balances

plural noun

: a system that allows each branch of a government to amend or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from having too much power

Legal Definition

checks and balances

noun plural

checks and bal·​anc·​es

-ˈba-lən-səz

: the powers (as judicial review, the presidential veto, and the congressional override) conferred on each of the three branches of government by which each restrains the others from exerting too much power see also separation of powers