Meanings
- The caste of clergy in medieval and early modern society, and in particular in France prior to 1789, as distinct from the nobility and the commoners.
Synonyms: spirituality, spiritualty, third sex, clergy, spirituality, spiritualty, third sex
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe caste of clergy in medieval and early modern society, and in particular in France prior to 1789, as distinct from the nobility and the commoners.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe clergy in France and the heads of the church in Britain
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
first estate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20estate
“first estate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20estate. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “first estate,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20estate.
Source: first estate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.