first estate

American  

noun

1. the first of the three estates: the clergy in France; the Lords Spiritual in England.

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first estate British  

noun

1. the first of the three estates of the realm, such as the Lords Spiritual in England or the clergy in France until the revolution

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Etymology

Origin of first estate

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

When I attended my first estate sale in November at a Beverly Hills home, a stunning vintage Teac A-7010 tape recorder caught my attention.

From Los Angeles Times

"This is the first estate that I'm aware of that has ever been opened for an aborted baby."

From Salon

The first estate agency in Wales was prosecuted last week.

From BBC

The restaurant, Valley Kitchen, had recently released its first estate vintage, and we ordered two glasses of the pinot to go with the main — risotto with purple asparagus and trumpet mushrooms.

From New York Times

That first estate tax return has to be bullet proof, especially if there are hard-to-value assets.

From Forbes