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
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)