checks and balances
noun
plural in form but sometimes singular in construction
: a system that allows each branch of a government to amend, override, or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power or power beyond its authority
Things that for many decades were givens—the checks and balances on the executive, the role of the judiciary or the civil service, a media free from interference or vilification—now appear vulnerable.—
Emily Maitlis
Emily Maitlis"I do think that there is an expectation in our country that checks and balances is a good thing," [Senator John] Thune said …—Stephen Groves
Stephen Groves
broadly
: a system in which power and control is distributed and counterbalanced (as to prevent unethical or harmful actions)
Founders [of startup businesses] benefit from checks and balances. … It makes the company more trustworthy, easier to finance, and less likely to implode. For those same reasons, checks and balances help employees. —Noam Wasserman
Noam Wasserman Examples of checks and balances in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Worse still, the bedrock elements of the dollar’s strength—the rule of law, an independent Federal Reserve, a system of checks and balances—have been undermined in recent years by populist politicians who have chipped away at the country’s democratic institutions.
—Eswar Prasad, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
Still, the French government is subject to checks and balances – if fewer than a less centralized governmental system like the United States.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2024
The project relies on what legal scholars call the unitary executive theory, which dismisses the idea that there are three separate branches of government for checks and balances, The New York Times reported.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 9 June 2024
Prosecutors blame opportunistic predators for exploiting weakened checks and balances during the pandemic, when speedily getting resources to people in need was paramount nationwide.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for checks and balances 
Eswar Prasad, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
Still, the French government is subject to checks and balances – if fewer than a less centralized governmental system like the United States.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2024
The project relies on what legal scholars call the unitary executive theory, which dismisses the idea that there are three separate branches of government for checks and balances, The New York Times reported.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 9 June 2024
Prosecutors blame opportunistic predators for exploiting weakened checks and balances during the pandemic, when speedily getting resources to people in need was paramount nationwide.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for checks and balances
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'checks and balances.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Checks and balances.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/checks%20and%20balances. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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