Magna Carta

noun

Mag·​na Car·​ta ˈmag-nə-ˈkär-tə How to pronounce Magna Carta (audio)
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 See all Example Sentences for Magna Carta 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Magna Carta.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, literally, great charter

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Magna Carta was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near Magna Carta

Cite this Entry

“Magna Carta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Magna%20Carta. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Legal Definition

Magna Carta

noun
Mag·​na Car·​ta
variants or Magna Charta
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on Magna Carta

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