“Carte blanche” means having complete freedom to act as one wishes. It can be used in various situations, but it can also be dangerous. “Blank check” is a related term that is often used interchangeably. In politics and business, certain people may receive carte blanche, but it is generally not advisable to give someone a blank check. The term originates from the 1700s and is French for “blank ticket.”
When someone is given carte blanche, it means that the person can do whatever they want. The term can be used to describe a variety of situations; for example, someone might offer to pay for dinner and say that the guests have “carte blanche” to order what they want. In certain situations, carte blanche makes sense, as it empowers someone to act quickly at their own discretion. In other cases, carte blanche can be extremely dangerous, and some people use the term disparagingly to talk about things like poorly written laws that don’t clearly define acts that would be considered illegal.
A closely related term is “blank check.” Carte blanche is actually French for “blank ticket,” and the two terms are often used interchangeably. The term originates from the 1700s, when it was used to mean “total discretionary power,” often in politics. As one might imagine, politicians with carte blanche can make some unfortunate decisions, which is why most nations have check-and-balance systems in place to prevent people from acting completely independently when in government.
In the corporate world, certain people within a business may receive carte blanche. For example, a trusted secretary might order any necessary office supplies, or a member of executive management might be empowered to make deals with other companies. Carte blanche can be a powerful tool for executives, allowing them to move decisively and quickly to seal good deals or reject contracts offered on unfavorable terms.
In the sense of a blank check, carte blanche is generally not advisable. A blank check is a check that has been completed and signed without indicating a monetary amount. In theory, someone could fill out a blank check with any amount and the bank would honor it, since the account holder’s signature would be on the check. Blank checks can be helpful, as in the case of a parent sending a child on a shopping trip with a blank check to pay for it instead of trying to guess how much cash might be needed.
Unfortunately, the ability to select any option is very easy to abuse, so “carte blanche” has taken on a pejorative sense. If you are in a position to offer someone carte blanche, you can carefully consider the situation and perhaps set some basic guidelines that that person cannot exceed.
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