carte blanche

noun

ˈkärt-ˈblänch  -ˈbläⁿsh 

plural cartes blanches ˈkärt(s)-ˈblänch  -ˈbläⁿsh 

: full discretionary (see discretion sense 3a) 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

Featuring a bedroom, lounge and private dining area, bathroom, library and tea room, JR was given carte blanche on the redesign of the 23-meter (75-foot) long former sleeping car. —Tom Page, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025

Crave, the Canadian streamer behind his breakout hit, gave him carte blanche to adapt the second novel in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, six unabashedly horny romances set in the world of men’s professional ice hockey. —Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025

Yet despite horrific incident after horrific incident, AI companies retain carte blanche to sell products with zero meaningful safety standards or oversight. —Michael Kleinman, Time, 22 Nov. 2025

Give whoever replaces Grier carte blanche, complete freedom, a blank slate, to do whatever the person desires with the organization. —Omar Kelly october 31, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, blank document

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for carte blanche

• avalanche
• blanch
• branch
• cranch
• ranch
• stanch
• tranche

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