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carte blanche - 5 dictionary results

carte blanche

[kahrt blanch, blahnch; Fr. kart blahnsh]
–noun, plural cartes blanches [kahrts blanch, blahnch; Fr. kart blahnsh] .
1. unconditional authority; full discretionary power.
2. a sheet of paper that is blank except for a signature and given by the signer to another person to write in what he or she pleases.
3. Cards. a hand having no face card but with a special scoring value, as in piquet.

Origin:
1645–55; < F: lit., blank document; see carte, blank
carte blanche   (kärt bläɴsh', blänch', blānch')   
n.   pl. cartes blanches (kärt bläɴsh', kärts blänch', blānch')
Unrestricted power to act at one's own discretion; unconditional authority: gave the contractor carte blanche to modernize the kitchen.

[French : carte, ticket + blanche, blank.]

Carte blanche

Carte` blanche"\ [F., fr. OF. carte paper + -blanc, blanche, white. See 1st Card.] A blank paper, with a person's signature, etc., at the bottom, given to another person, with permission to superscribe what conditions he pleases. Hence: Unconditional terms; unlimited authority.
Language Translation for : carte blanche
Spanish: cheque en blanco,
German: der Blankocheck,
Japanese: 白地式小切手

carte blanche [(kahrt blahnsh, kahrt blahnch)]

To be given “carte blanche” is to receive the power and authority to do as one wishes: “The prime minister herself did not take any action on the refugee issue but gave her minister of the interior carte blanche to deal with the situation.” Carte blanche is French for “blank card,” meaning one that can be filled in as a person wishes.


carte blanche 
1707, from Fr., lit. "blank paper" (see card (n.)); figurative sense of "full discretionary power" is from 1766.
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