third estate

noun

often capitalized T&E
: the third of the traditional political orders
specifically : the commons

Examples of third estate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And now the fencing has come to the Supreme Court, to the third estate. Washington Post, 10 May 2022 This applies not just to customers but to every single player in this great charade of restauranting: chefs, restaurateurs, critics, purveyors, flacks, real estate brokers, and members of the third estate. Joshua David Stein, Town & Country, 6 Nov. 2019 Like the revolutionaries of 1789, those in the contemporary French third estate (the commoners) have been stirred by the hypocrisy of their betters. Joel Kotkin, National Review, 25 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'third estate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of third estate was in 1604

Dictionary Entries Near third estate

Cite this Entry

“Third estate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/third%20estate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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