Declaration of Rights
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An instrument sub- mitted to William and Mary and accepted by them (February 13th, 1689), setting forth the fundamental principles of the constitution.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Declaration of Rights” mean?
An instrument sub- mitted to William and Mary and accepted by them (February 13th, 1689), setting forth the fundamental principles of the constitution.
Is “Declaration of Rights” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.