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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the 13th century, as the Magna Carta encoded the rights of English barons, the Carta de Foresta laid out the rights of commoners to pasture cattle in the open places among the English forests. — James Whorton Jr, Longreads, 13 Oct. 2026 Though the label’s last release came in the form of Jay’s 2013 album Magna Carta…Holy Grail, its impact is everlasting. — Alex Gonzalez, VIBE.com, 18 Sep. 2026 The song, from Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, which some octogenarian readers may remember arriving three days early through an app for the first million Samsung Galaxy owners, had already begun to creep into the younger generation’s consciousness. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026 While acknowledging challenges like mounting debt and eroding public trust, the article stresses the foundational importance of the rule of law, tracing it back to the Magna Carta. — Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for Magna Carta

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

Rhymes for Magna Carta

See All Rhymes for Magna Carta

Browse Nearby Words

magn
Magna Carta
magna cum laude
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Magna Carta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Magna%20Carta. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Legal Definition

Magna Carta

noun
Mag·​na Car·​ta
variants or Magna Charta
ˈmag-nə-ˈkär-tə How to pronounce Magna Carta (audio)
: 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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Magna Carta

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vocation

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All