Magna Carta
1
7.3
- proper noun
- /ˈmæɡnə ˈkɑrtə/
:
Magna Carta
- It was evident from our nation's earliest days that Americans shared the well-settled English understanding of the meaning and value of property. To the Colonists, a "fundamental principle" of English and American law, "deeply rooted in the English common law" and "confirmed by Magna Carta," was that "personal liberty and private rights to property were normally beyond the reach of the king and could be taken from the individual only as provided by the law of the land."
- Article Magna Carta
- history of Magna Carta
Examples
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The first major example of this was in England when the nobles wrested absolute power from the monarchy (Magna Carta) but then gradually gave it to more and more individuals.
Blog text (15) -
Roman law certainly does that, and Magna Carta proclaims that to the whole world.
Academic text (1994) -
Individual land rights are as old as the Magna Carta; this democracy and capitalism are based on this.
Blog text (16) -
But remember that the Magna Carta was hardly recognized for 200 or 300 years after that.
Academic text (1994) -
The Due Process Clause traces its lineage to Article 39 of Magna Carta.
Academic text (2016) -
According to the Magna Carta and especially the Declaration of Independence, government derives its just power from the consent of the governed.
Blog text (15) -
Our government has completely decimated our Bill of Rights and legal concepts that predate the Magna Carta.
Blog text (18) -
The history of Magna Carta reveals that the Due Process Clause serves as a regulation of governmental lawmaking power.
Academic text (2016) -
In sum, the history of Magna Carta discloses that the clause was designed to rein in the potentially arbitrary exercise of government power by demanding that the government act pursuant to the rule of law, rather than the private judgment of individuals.
Academic text (2016) -
The Magna Carta is often considered a cornerstone of democracy and individual rights.
Synonyms
1
8.1
An official document from a king or queen that gives rights to an organization
A royal document from 1215 that limits the king's power
A royal document giving political rights to English barons in 1215
Surface Forms
Morphology
Magna + Carta
The phrase is a Latin proper name literally meaning 'Great Charter' — if a learner knew the constituents they would likely infer it refers to an important document, but not the specific historical/legal significance (the 1215 charter limiting royal power). As a culture- and history-specific proper noun whose full meaning requires background knowledge beyond literal composition, it is only partially transparent to B1 learners.
Etymology
Magna Carta comes from Latin: Magna means 'great' and Carta means 'charter' or 'paper'. In 1215 barons made King John agree to a big written set of rules the king had to follow, so the 'Great Charter' now stands for limits on royal power and the start of many legal rights.