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
-
Before Universal could make a decision about Penland, a news story emerged about Scorsese screening the film for Catholic clergy.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026 -
Tim Keller, the pastor who effectively invented the modern urban evangelical church movement through New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian, spent heavily training the next generation of clergy but did not produce a successor.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
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
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 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
