established church

noun

Definition of established church

: a church recognized by law as the official church of a nation or state and supported by civil authority

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Recent Examples of established church from the Web

Some members of the Board of Adjustment appeared sympathetic to the non-legally established churches, however, and the board voted to overturn the hearing officer's decision in favor of the churches and other community opposition.

— jessica boehm, azcentral, "Tactics scrutinized in Phoenix medical-marijuana dispensary cases," 10 May 2018
Schmidt has preached throughout the Midwest, established churches and has degrees from an independent Baptist college.

— ashley luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'A blindside': Acting sheriff Richard Schmidt talks David Clarke, jail reform and faith," 25 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'established church.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.