carte blanche
/ˈkɑːrt ˈblɑːntʃ/
noun
Origin
French
carte blanche — blank/white paper or card
Overview
Meaning Now
- Unrestricted authority or freedom to act at one's own discretion.
Literal older meaning
white card
Language path
French
Earliest form
carte blanche
Earliest period
18th century
Journey
Historically, 'carte blanche' referred to a blank sheet of paper signed by a person in authority and given to a subordinate or diplomat. By leaving the space blank, the issuer granted the bearer the power to fill in the terms of an agreement, treaty, or contract, effectively delegating full decision-making power to them.
Evolution
- 17th century French
carte blanche
“a blank paper signed by a superior to be filled in by an agent with whatever terms they saw fit.”
Used in diplomacy and military surrender.
- 18th century English
carte blanche
“unlimited authority.”
Borrowed into English retaining the original French form.
Connections
Word parts
carte
root
card or paper
blanche
root
white
Related across languages
Latin
charta
paper/leaf
Germanic
blank
shining/white
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Related to carte blanche
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.