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

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

The waterside residence, which has come to market for £4.5 million (or about $6 million), sits on its own private island, aptly named Magna Carta Island. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2024

The technology has also been used to store major documents from human history, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Magna Carta. —Rosa Rahimi, CNN, 20 Sep. 2024

Since the Magna Carta, the English had been proud of their liberties and rule of law. —Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 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