Meaning & use
checks and balances
A system in which each branch of government has powers that limit the actions of the other branches.
See it in a sentence
Checks and balances prevent any single branch of government from becoming too powerful.
The framers built checks and balances into the constitution to protect against tyranny.
A note on using this word
The phrase is almost always used in its plural form, 'checks and balances,' even when discussing a single mechanism.
Words with a similar meaning
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