blank cheque

IPA/ˌblæŋk ˈtʃek/
IPA/ˌblæŋk ˈtʃek/

blank cheque — noun

1. a cheque that someone has signed but left the amount empty, so the person who re

1.nounB2
Definition

a cheque that someone has signed but left the amount empty, so the person who receives it can fill in the sum later

Example

Talia signed the blank cheque and handed it to her assistant.

collocation: sign a blank cheque

Joshua left the amount empty on the blank cheque by mistake.

Common collocations
  • sign a blank cheque
  • leave a blank cheque
  • a blank cheque as a deposit
Synonyms

Usage Note

In American English the spelling is 'blank check'.

Common Mistakes

I lost a blank cheque' (when you mean an unsigned cheque).
I lost an unsigned cheque.
a blank cheque is already signed; only the amount is missing.

2. complete freedom to decide how to act or spend money, without any limits set in

2.nounC1
Definition

complete freedom to decide how to act or spend money, without any limits set in advance by the person or group giving the authority

Example

The board gave Andrei a blank cheque to restructure the entire division.

pattern: give [someone] a blank cheque to [do something]

Jin felt the new manager had been handed a blank cheque by the owners.

passive: be handed a blank cheque

Common collocations
  • give someone a blank cheque
  • hand someone a blank cheque
  • a blank cheque to do something
Synonyms
  • carte blanche

    more formal, often used in diplomatic or official contexts

  • free rein

    informal; emphasises freedom of action rather than money

  • open mandate

    used mainly in politics; authority granted by voters or a group

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

give (someone) a blank cheque to do something

a blank cheque for [purpose]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (AMOUNT LEFT BLANK): the figurative sense describes authority or resources, not a physical cheque. Common in political and business contexts.

Common Mistakes

She gave me a blank cheque for my birthday present.' (referring to an unspecified gift).
She told me I could pick any present I wanted.
a blank cheque in the figurative sense means complete freedom to act or spend, not an undefined gift.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Blank cheque and carte blanche both describe unlimited authority, but differ in tone: carte blanche (from French, meaning 'white card') sounds more formal and often appears in diplomatic or artistic contexts — 'the designer was given carte blanche to reimagine the gallery.' Free rein is the most everyday of the three, drawn from horse-riding (loosening the reins), and focuses on freedom to act independently — 'the chef was given free rein over the menu.' Open mandate is mainly political, referring to authority a group gives a leader after an election — 'the party claimed an open mandate for reform.' Blank cheque sits between these: less formal than carte blanche, broader than open mandate, and it carries the concrete image of unlimited spending that the others lack.

carte blanchefree rein ↗open mandate

Common collocations

Phrases

  • receive a blank cheque
  • write a blank cheque

Prepositions

  • a blank cheque for
  • a blank cheque from

Etymology

Old FrenchArabicPersianMedieval LatinMiddle EnglishEnglish

From blank (Middle English, from Old French blanc 'white, shining') and cheque (a written money order, from the verb 'check' meaning 'to verify or control,' which itself traces a long path from Persian shāh 'king' through Arabic ṣakk 'written document' into medieval banking). The figurative sense — unlimited freedom or resources — emerged in the early 20th century when the image of a signed cheque with no amount filled in became a powerful metaphor for trust without limits.