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pragmatic sanction

noun
  1. any one of various imperial decrees with the effect of fundamental law.
  2. (initial capital letters) History/Historical.
    1. any of several imperial or royal decrees limiting the power or privilege of the papacy, as the decree of Charles VII of France in 1438 or that of the Diet of Mainz in 1439.
    2. the imperial decree of Charles VI of Austria in 1713, by which his daughter, Maria Theresa, inherited his dominions.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pragmatic sanction

Historical Examples

  • France renounced all her conquests in Germany; she guaranteed the Pragmatic-Sanction.

    A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times

    Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot

British Dictionary definitions for pragmatic sanction

pragmatic sanction

noun
  1. an edict, decree, or ordinance issued with the force of fundamental law by a sovereign
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012