carte blanche

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carte blanche

(kärt bläNsh′, blänch′, blănch′)

n. pl. cartes blanches (kärt bläNsh′, kärts blänch′, blănch′)

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.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

carte blanche

(ˈkɑːt ˈblɑːntʃ; French kart blɑ̃ʃ)

n, pl cartes blanches (ˈkɑːts ˈblɑːntʃ; French kart blɑ̃ʃ)

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) complete discretion or authority: the government gave their negotiator carte blanche.

2. (Card Games) cards a piquet hand containing no court cards: scoring ten points

[C18: from French: blank paper]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

carte blanche

(ˈkɑrt ˈblɑntʃ, ˈblɑ̃ʃ)

n.

unconditional authority; full discretionary power.

[1645–55; < French: literally, blank document]

carte blanche

A French phrase literally meaning blank card, used to mean a free hand to do as you wish.

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Noun

carte blanche - complete freedom or authority to act

authority, potency, authorization, authorisation, say-so, dominance - the power or right to give orders or make decisions; "he has the authority to issue warrants"; "deputies are given authorization to make arrests"; "a place of potency in the state"

Translations

avoir carte blanchecarte blanche

carte blanche

[ˌkɑːtˈblɑːntʃ] N → carta f blanca
to give sb carte blanche → dar carta blanca a algn

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

carte blanche

[ˌkɑː^rtˈblɑːnʃ] n
to give sb carte blanche → donner carte blanche à qn
to give sb carte blanche to do sth → donner carter blanche à qn pour faire qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

carte blanche

n no pl → Blankovollmacht f; to give somebody carte blanche → jdm Carte blanche f (geh) → or eine Blankovollmacht geben

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

carte blanche

[ˈkɑːtˈblɑːntʃ] n to give sb carte blanche → dare carta bianca a qn

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in classic literature ?

I only ask you to give me carte blanche. I'm not going to offer you my protection...though, indeed, why shouldn't I protect you?-- you've protected me often enough!

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He then most earnestly recommended to her ladyship to do him the honour of immediately mentioning his proposals to the family; to whom he said he offered a carte blanche , and would settle his fortune in almost any manner they should require.

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I'll give you carte blanche as to what you serve, but it must be of the best."

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Quadroon, with carte blanche on the Slave question); indeed the family estate was much embarrassed, and the income drawn from the borough was of great use to the house of Queen's Crawley.

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de Treville, or whether he should only ask him to give him CARTE BLANCHE for some secret affair.

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If I were Brooke, I would choke the `Trumpet' at once by getting Garth to make a new valuation of the farms, and giving him carte blanche about gates and repairs: that's my view of the political situation," said the Rector, broadening himself by sticking his thumbs in his armholes, and laughing towards Mr.

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"You know, Monsieur Poirot, that you have carte blanche in every way."

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My grandfather has given me carte blanche for once, and I promise you the entertainment shall be worthy of the occasion.

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He gives me carte blanche in the matter, and, I verily believe, would throw in a blank check if asked.

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South Africa has congratulated Sasha Maria Schwendenwein, a producer on Carte Blanche, for her Southern African Development Community (SADC) Media Awards entry which won second prize in the TV category.The award was bestowed during the opening ceremony of the 39th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government in Tanzania.

Congratulations to Carte Blanche producer

She told Radio 2's Carte Blanche: "I was sure of my love for the animals, my passion, and that I wanted to give my life to them.

Bardot: No regrets

It has been learnt that the officials at the land record centre have carte blanche to sweep complaints' pockets on one pretext or the other.