honor system
noun
: a system (as at a college) whereby persons are trusted to abide by the regulations (as for a code of conduct) without supervision or surveillance
Examples of honor system in a Sentence
Customers are on the honor system to pay for any software they choose to purchase.
Recent Examples on the Web
Currently, Trolley stations are open for anyone to enter without passing through turnstiles or other obstructions, with fares enforced by a mix of the honor system and intermittent checks by security.
—
Andrew Keatts, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024
That's a major change from the honor system the two-state light rail had employed since its inception in 1993, with fares only enforced through onboard spot checks and the threat of fines for repeat violators.
—CBS News, 12 Oct. 2024
Does self-checkout encourage shoplifting? Self-checkout largely removes cashiers from registers, leaving shoppers on an uneasy honor system.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
But the Free Press found state restraint and seclusion legislation passed in 2016 didn't include any consequences, and whether schools follow those laws — or accurately report how many times students are secluded or restrained — is largely an honor system.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for honor system 
Andrew Keatts, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024
That's a major change from the honor system the two-state light rail had employed since its inception in 1993, with fares only enforced through onboard spot checks and the threat of fines for repeat violators.
—CBS News, 12 Oct. 2024
Does self-checkout encourage shoplifting? Self-checkout largely removes cashiers from registers, leaving shoppers on an uneasy honor system.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
But the Free Press found state restraint and seclusion legislation passed in 2016 didn't include any consequences, and whether schools follow those laws — or accurately report how many times students are secluded or restrained — is largely an honor system.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for honor system
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'honor system.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Honor system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honor%20system. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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