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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Founding Fathers, having witnessed the abuses of centralized power under British rule, embedded this model into the Constitution to ensure a system of checks and balances, where each branch could limit the powers of the others, safeguarding against tyranny and upholding the rule of law. Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 The rule of law in the United States has been traditionally understood to use checks and balances to prevent too much concentration of arbitrary executive power. Charlie Savage, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 As part of his tightening grip on power, and his assault on 200-plus years of checks and balances, President Trump has bludgeoned some of the nation’s leading law firms into shameful submission, extracting hundreds of millions of dollars worth of free legal work for his pet causes. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025 Despite its considerable power, ICE’s authority is not without checks and balances. Rose Cuison-Villazor, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for checks and balances

Word History

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of checks and balances was in 1777

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Cite this Entry

“Checks and balances.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/checks%20and%20balances. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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

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