third estate

American  

noun

1. the third of the three estates or political orders: the commons in France or England.

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third estate British  

noun

1. the third order or class in a country or society divided into estates, esp for representation in a parliament; the commons, townsmen, or middle class

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Etymology

Origin of third estate

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

Many of the emigrants belong to the class formerly called the Third-Estate.

From The French Revolution - Volume 2 by Durand, John

Tacitly or expressly, the Third-Estate refuses to restrict its mandate and allows no barriers to be interposed against it.

From The Ancient Regime by Durand, John

Now that the victorious Third-Estate has again overcome them and overwhelms them with numbers, they become still more maladroit, and conduct the defense much less efficiently than the attack.

From The French Revolution - Volume 1 by Durand, John

"In spite of privileges," writes a gentleman in 1755,5146 "the nobles are daily being ruined and reduced, the Third-Estate making all the fortunes."

From The Ancient Regime by Durand, John

You have been kept in ignorance of the fermentation which is at its height among all classes of the Third-Estate, and a spark will kindle the conflagration.

From The Ancient Regime by Durand, John