blank check

noun

1. a bank check bearing a signature but no stated amount.

2. unrestricted authority; a free hand.

   He was given a blank check in the choice of personnel for the new department.

Word History and Origins

Origin of blank check¹

First recorded in 1790–95, and in 1885–90 blank check for def. 2

Idioms and Phrases

Unrestricted authority, a free hand, as in I'll support most of the chairman's agenda, but I'm not ready to give him a blank check for the company's future. Literally this term signifies a bank check that is signed by the drawer but does not indicate the amount of money, which is filled in by the person to whom it is given. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Alliance, said after the meeting that he was “heartened that the city didn’t give this misadventure a blank check.”

From Los Angeles Times

“There are no more blank checks. Every investment must make economic sense,” Tan told employees in a memo last week.

From Los Angeles Times

“There are no more blank checks,” Tan wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

“To have a blank check for this level of leave — there’s no way to really plan or prepare for it from a staffing or financial standpoint, which in the end hurts students.”

From Los Angeles Times

Angel Studios last week announced its intention to become a publicly traded company through a merger with a so-called “blank check” company.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• free rein