Estate Of The Realm (Noun)
Meaning
A major social class or order of persons regarded collectively as part of the body politic of the country (especially in the United Kingdom) and formerly possessing distinct political rights.
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- The clergy, nobility, and commoners were the three traditional estates of the realm in medieval England.
- In the United Kingdom, the estates of the realm were represented in Parliament by the Lords Spiritual, the Lords Temporal, and the Commons.
- The estates of the realm were originally the three groups that made up the French Estates-General, which was established in the 14th century.
- The nobility was one of the most powerful estates of the realm in pre-revolutionary France, holding significant influence over the monarch and government.
- The concept of the estates of the realm was also used in other European countries, such as Sweden and Spain, to describe the different social classes and their roles in government.