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

Democrats have panned the Republican House's effort as a remarkable misuse of impeachment powers that could undermine America's system of checks and balances. —USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024

Empowering employers to shield their bad actors behind non-disparagement clauses prevents the natural societal checks and balances system from serving its purpose. —Christine Shen, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024

Especially as the space tourism industry continues to proliferate in the private sector, the appropriate levels of checks and balances required will have to be established. —Sai Balasubramanian, M.d., J.d., Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

The idea is a system of checks and balances, with no one branch having unlimited power. —Jeffrey Rupp, The Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2024

In many countries in Africa, there are few checks and balances on the power of the military. —Zachariah Mushawatu, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2024

To support their new economies, Native North Americans instituted decentralized governing structures with a variety of political checks and balances to prevent dictatorial leaders from taking power and to ensure that all members of a society had a say. —Kathleen Duval, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024

SMEs must implement checks and balances to identify and mitigate these biases, ensuring that AI solutions are ethical and fair. —Rohit Anabheri, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

That may have deeper consequences at a time when Fico’s opponents are warning of his efforts to tighten his grip on power and undermine checks and balances in the furtherance of his interests and those of a set of oligarchic allies. —Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

checks and balances

noun plural

: 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