first estate

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for first estate
Noun
  • There’s a security company founder, the leader of the local NAACP and a clergy person, too.
    Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Testimony in opposition included transgender individuals, family members and clergy.
    Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Elsewhere, the election commissioner in Virginia said that a church that had been scheduled to serve as a polling location in Newport News was closed after a vehicle ran through the building on Saturday.
    Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2025
  • But Wolfgang Rothe — a priest and scholar of canon law — says this charge is often pitted at critics within the church.
    Esme Nicholson, NPR, 4 Nov. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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“First estate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first%20estate. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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