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
Ideally, there are checks and balances within the system that put up guard rails to reduce the likelihood such people will be destructive and hold or retain power.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Critics warn that such efforts could threaten the judiciary's independence and the constitutional system of checks and balances.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
For many in my generation, those three rings were our introduction to the idea of the checks and balances built into the U.S. government.
—David Lopez, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
By removing the environmental checks and balances to federal land management projects, the Fix our Forests Act (FOFA) bypasses the critical oversight and public scrutiny that protects our ecosystems and restricts scientific input and public involvement.
—Delaney Rudy, The Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2025
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Mary Crossan, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Critics warn that such efforts could threaten the judiciary's independence and the constitutional system of checks and balances.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
For many in my generation, those three rings were our introduction to the idea of the checks and balances built into the U.S. government.
—David Lopez, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
By removing the environmental checks and balances to federal land management projects, the Fix our Forests Act (FOFA) bypasses the critical oversight and public scrutiny that protects our ecosystems and restricts scientific input and public involvement.
—Delaney Rudy, The Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for checks and balances
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Cite this Entry
“Checks and balances.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/checks%20and%20balances. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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