established church

American  

noun

1. a church that is recognized by law, and sometimes financially supported, as the official church of a nation.

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Established Church British  

noun

1. a Church that is officially recognized as a national institution, esp the Church of England

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established church ¹ Cultural  

1. A church supported by the government as a national institution. The Church of England is an established church in England, as is the Lutheran Church in the countries of Scandinavia and the Presbyterian Church in Scotland.

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established church ² Cultural  

1. A religious denomination that receives financial and other support from the government, often to the exclusion of support for other denominations. (See under “World Literature, Philosophy, and Religion.”)

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Etymology

Origin of established church

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

The Saints are not affiliated with an established church in Australia and count around two dozen members from three families among its members.

From BBC

Several had Christian language in their founding documents, such as Massachusetts, with established churches lasting decades after independence.

From Seattle Times

"But it's also the Church of England reminding everyone they're one of the established churches of the UK and the monarch is its supreme governor."

From BBC

“If the monarchy stumbles, where does that leave the established church?”

From Washington Post

Before it was formed after the American Revolution, Anglicanism was the established church of the Virginia colony.

From Washington Post