Estates

Definition

The estates were social classes into which people in pre-revolutionary France were divided based mainly on their wealth and privileges. There were three main estates: clergy (First Estate), nobility (Second Estate), and commoners (Third Estate).

Related terms

Clergy: The First Estate comprised high-ranking religious officials in France, including bishops and priests.

Nobility: The Second Estate consisted of aristocrats, such as lords and members of the royal family, who held significant social and political power.

Third Estate: The largest estate, it represented the commoners in France, including peasants, urban workers, and middle-class professionals.