Mag ‧ na Car ‧ ta /ˌmæɡnə ˈkɑːtə $ -ˈkɑːr-/ BrE AmE
an important document in British history which King John of England signed in 1215 at ↑ Runnymede in the south of England. By doing this he agreed that limits could be set on royal powers. Later, especially in the 17th century, the document was seen as a statement of basic ↑ civil rights . Four copies of the original document still exist.