Carte Blanche Legal Terminology

Sometimes a person issues a blank cheque to a trusted agent, for example when paying a debt for which they do not know the amount. In the United States, the legal term for a blank check is “incomplete instrument.” Blank cheques are processed in the Uniform Commercial Code (CDU). The UCC does not make it illegal to issue or accept a blank cheque. However, if a person accepting such an instrument enters in the cheque an amount that is not authorized by the issuer, the UCC considers it to be an illegal modification. To keep carte blanche is to retain the power and authority to do what you want: “The Prime Minister herself has done nothing on the refugee issue, but has given carte blanche to her Minister of the Interior to deal with the situation.” Carte blanche is French for “carte vierge”, that is to say a card that can be filled in at will. You drew me with carte blanche freedoms and spent fortunes like a prodigal son! Mrs. Langley gave her a free hand to eat what she loved. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms of carte blanche Carte blanche are like a blank check. In French, carte means “document” and blanche means “empty”, so the term means “blank document”. English retained this literal meaning: a carte blanche was a blank document signed in advance by one party and given to the other with permission to complete the terms later.

Similar to the blank check, Carte Blanche has also taken on the broad meaning of “total freedom.” “Carte blanche” is a French term that means “blank document”. Carte blanche is often used in English to refer to a cheque that has been signed but does not contain a dollar amount. The recipient of such a cheque then writes down the dollar amount they want or need. The term “carte blanche” is used more often figuratively than literally. This usually means that someone in power has given someone else unconditional authority to spend money or make decisions about that situation in a given situation. This term is often used in politics and economics. Carte blanche arrangements are often a bad idea because of their high potential for abuse. Their delicate salons were eerily conventional – the natural result of a carte blanche for a fashionable upholsterer. “I give you carte blanche for expenses,” his lady said decisively. These sample phrases are automatically selected from various online information sources to reflect the current use of the word “carte blanche”.

The opinions expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us your feedback. Sometimes “carte blanche” is used in politics, economics or law to refer to full powers, a term in international law that refers to the granting of authority to a person or entity designated to take the steps or spend the money needed to achieve a result. “Carte blanche.” dictionary Merriam-Webster.com, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carte%20blanche. Accessed October 4, 2022. Carte blanche entered the English language as a French loanword in the mid-17th century, when card games were of course all the rage. But what does that mean now? For example, the U.S. resolution on the Gulf of Tonkin gave President Lyndon B. Johnson full authority to “take all necessary measures” to prevent Vietnamese aggression against the United States and its allies. This resolution has been described as a blank cheque and a carte blanche.

These terms have also been widely used to describe the powers granted to U.S. President George W. Bush should “use all necessary and appropriate force” to hunt down those responsible for the 9/11 attacks in New York, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. I gave Charley carte blanche to ask one of my acquaintances in Richmond – and everything for what? Signature of one or more people, on a white paper, with enough space above to write a note or other font. Carte Blanche — Album by Rachid Taha Released 1997 Genre(s) Rai/Rock Producer(s) Steve Hillage Label Barclay Records . In business, it is not uncommon for signatures in spaces to have the authority to fill them out for the sake of simplicity. These are binding on the parties. But the void must be filled by exactly the authorized person. Unconditional authority; give a person full discretion and power to act. A cross-check is sometimes called a blank check. A cross-check is a check that banks sometimes provide to customers who are making withdrawals or who have just opened an account and have not had time to order pre-printed checks.

Typically, these checks lack some of the information commonly printed on checks, and many companies refuse to accept them due to their high frequency of abuse.