Magna Carta

noun

Mag·​na Car·​ta ˈmag-nə-ˈkär-tə 

variants or less commonly Magna Charta

1

: a charter of liberties to which the English barons forced King John to give his assent in June 1215 at Runnymede

2

: a document constituting a fundamental guarantee of rights and privileges

Examples of Magna Carta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Terra Carta derives its name from the historic Magna Carta which laid out the fundamental rights and liberties of the English people more than 800 years ago. —Tianwei Zhang, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024

The requirement to post the Ten Commandments was dropped, but the commandments and the Magna Carta were added to a list of historical documents that educators have the option to use in curricula. —George Petras, USA TODAY, 12 Nov. 2024

Despite the Magna Carta’s curbs on monarchs, some English kings still succeeded in wielding inordinate power. —James Coffin, Orlando Sentinel, 7 July 2024

State of display: A special exhibit, Freedom Matters, features a 14th-century copy of the Magna Carta, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Artifacts and newspaper clippings tell the story of struggle for equality in America, from slavery to women's suffrage to the Civil Rights Movement. —Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, literally, great charter

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

Magna Carta

noun

Mag·​na Car·​ta

variants or Magna Charta

ˈmag-nə-ˈkär-tə 

: a charter of liberties signed under duress by King John of England in 1215 that influenced the development of many important modern legal and constitutional principles (as due process)

Etymology

Medieval Latin, literally, great charter