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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

Examples of established church in a Sentence

Recent Examples on 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

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.

First Known Use of established church

circa 1702, in the meaning defined above

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The first known use of established church was circa 1702

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More from Merriam-Webster on established church

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about established church

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