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magna charta

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Mag⋅na Car⋅ta

[mag-nuh kahr-tuh]
–noun
1. the “great charter” of English liberties, forced from King John by the English barons and sealed at Runnymede, June 15, 1215.
2. any fundamental constitution or law guaranteeing rights and liberties.
Also, Magna Charta.


Origin:
1425–75; late ME < ML
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Mag·na Car·ta or Mag·na Char·ta   (māg'nə kär'tə)   
n.  
  1. The charter of English political and civil liberties granted by King John at Runnymede in June 1215.

  2. A document or piece of legislation that serves as a guarantee of basic rights.


[Middle English, from Medieval Latin : Latin magna, great + charta, charter.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: Mag·na Car·ta
Variant: or Mag·na Char·ta /'mag-n&-'kär-t&/
Function: noun
Etymology: Medieval Latin, literally, great charter
: a charter of liberties signed under duress by King John of England in 1215 that influenced the development of several modern legal and constitutional principles (as due process)
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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