English Explanatory Dictionary

carte blanche

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Unlimited discretionary power to act; unrestricted authority.
  2. A blank paper that is signed by some authority and given to a person to fill as they please.
  3. A hand with no court cards.
  4. A chargecard issued by Diners Club International.
adv
  1. As an undifferentiated mass, without regard to distinctions; willy-nilly. (Possibly from confusion with another French phrase, en masse.)

Pronunciation

/(ˈ)kɑɹt ˈblɑn(t)ʃ/ kärt-blänsh LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-carte blanche.wav

Word forms

carte blanche cartes blanches

Etymology

Borrowed from French carte blanche, referring to a blank or white card.

Synonyms

free hand free rein proxy in blank blank check
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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