first estate

Definition of first estatenext
as in clergy
the group ordained to perform clerical functions in the Christian church a nation in which the first estate had long held a privileged position

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for first estate
Noun
  • No Kings protagonist, including and especially members of the clergy, is a saint, and Michael and Olivia are no exceptions.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Saunders is one of the most senior Australian Catholics to be convicted in a global clergy abuse scandal that has faced the Vatican for years.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Until a 1917 church law was revised in 1983, those who died by suicide were denied Catholic burials on consecrated grounds.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The reconstruction of one of the nation's oldest Black churches, where congregants gathered in secret before building a meeting house in Virginia, was celebrated Friday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
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Cite this Entry

“First estate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first%20estate. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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