in the civil law, is defined by Hottoman to be a rescript or answer of the sovereign, delivered by advice of his council, to some college, order, or body of people, upon consulting him on some case of their community. The like answer given to any particular person is called simply rescript.

The term pragmatic sanction is chiefly applied to a settlement of Charles VI, emperor of Germany, who, in the year 1722, having no sons, settled his hereditary dominions on his eldest daughter the archduchess Maria Theresa, which was confirmed by the diet of the empire, and guaranteed by Great Britain, France, the States-General, and most of the powers in Europe. The word pragmatic is derived from the Greek πραγματικόν, "business." It is sometimes also called absolutely pragmatic, το πραγματικόν.