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

Whether or not this is factual, this is a denial of due process, an issue that goes back to the Magna Carta of 1215 and, at least, the U.S. Constitution. —Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2025

That’s when England’s Magna Carta established the principle that government is not above the law. —Jennifer Selin, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2025

Click here to see more photos of Magna Carta House. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2024

Fort Knox has also been utilized to temporarily store valuable historical items, such as the Declaration of Independence and Constitution during World War II, as well as the Magna Carta. —Emily Chang, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, literally, great charter

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Magna Carta

• charta

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