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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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first estate
Noun
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Iran’s ruling clergy have weathered huge protests many times before.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026 -
Replaced by sycophants and suffocated by the clergy’s interference in daily life, this class has long since lost faith in the system.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Around here, for too many immigrants, here lawfully or not, going to church has actually been risky for months.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Stella Carlson was supposed to spend Saturday morning painting children’s faces at a church.—
Michael Williams,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 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 1 Feb. 2026.
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