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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first estate
Noun
-
But most innocuous follow-up questions about a clergy member’s calling would reveal that information, even if indirectly.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2025 -
Previously, only cardinals and patriarchs could celebrate a papal funeral; opening it to all clergy is in keeping with Francis’ effort to create a humbler, less top-down image of the church.—
Elisabetta Povoledo,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The liberal justices on the court sought to defend the country’s separation between church and state, which has previously not allowed public funding for religious charter schools.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
In 1840, the church opened the first of an eventual fifteen liberal arts colleges, all free-thinking, abolitionist, and dedicated to educating men and women on an equal basis.—
Richard D. Mahoney,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 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.
Cite this Entry
“First estate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first%20estate. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share