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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first estate
Noun
-
Shaped by the anticlerical violence of the country’s 1936-1939 civil war, the church has dealt more recently with a credibility crisis over revelations of decades of clergy abuse and cover-up.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026 -
Others are subsidiaries of conglomerates, known as bonyads, that answer to the clergy.—
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Noun
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There are beautiful walks and cycle rides and pretty Champenois villages in every direction, including Hautvillers, with the little church where Dom Pérignon is buried.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
There’s one in white marble in Square Samuel Rousseau opposite Saint Clotilde church, wings protectively covering the composer César Franck.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 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 8 Jun. 2026.
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