carte blanche
The term "carte blanche" comes from French, meaning "blank document" or "blank check," and signifies complete freedom or authority to act without restrictions.
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Definition
C1General
(formal, figurative)Complete freedom to act according to one's own judgment without any limitations.
Example
- The CEO was given carte blanche to restructure the company.
- With carte blanche, she transformed the old library into a modern community center.
C2Legal
(technical)Unrestricted authority granted to someone to take any action or make any decision.
Example
- The lawyer was given carte blanche to negotiate the terms of the settlement.
- He was handed carte blanche to handle the crisis as he saw fit.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "carte blanche":