checks and balances

[ cheks uhn bal-uhn-siz ]

plural noun

1. limits imposed on all branches of a government by vesting in each branch the right to amend or void those acts of another that fall within its purview.

checks and balances

plural noun

1. government competition and mutual restraint among the various branches of government

Word History and Origins

Origin of checks and balances¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Idioms and Phrases

System whereby each branch of an organization can limit the powers of the other branches, as in The union has used a system of checks and balances to prevent any large local from dominating its policies . This system was enacted through the Constitution of the United States in order to prevent any of its three branches from dominating the Federal government. The term is occasionally transferred to other mechanisms for balancing power.

Example Sentences

Such journalism is not a crime, but rather a crucial part of the checks-and-balances that go hand-in-hand with democracy.

From The Daily Beast

Frustrating as our national discourse can be, the checks-and-balances of a pluralistic society certainly seems preferable to that.

From The Daily Beast