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

"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

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

Examples of checks and balances in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mike Lee, a Republican senator from Utah, spent years arguing that America is a republic, not a democracy, and that its system of checks and balances is more important than the will of the people. —Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025

South Korea’s far right borrows from Trump’s playbook to bolster impeached Yoon Many have argued that the president wields far too much power under the current constitution and that greater checks and balances are needed. —Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2025

Meanwhile, Congress is standing by, unwilling to buck the president and denigrating our system of checks and balances. —The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2025

Help candidates running in 2026 and 2028 who are committed to democracy, the rule of law, checks and balances, and separation of powers. —Ben Engel, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for checks and balances

• counterbalances
• imbalances

Kids Definition

checks and balances

plural noun

: a system that allows each branch of a government to amend or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from having too much power

Legal Definition

checks and balances

noun plural

checks and bal·​anc·​es

-ˈba-lən-səz

: the powers (as judicial review, the presidential veto, and the congressional override) conferred on each of the three branches of government by which each restrains the others from exerting too much power see also separation of powers