Third Estate
Preserved but no longer current.
The Commons, as the third estate of the realm coming after the Sovereign and the Peers. The term is a translation of the French Tiers Etat, being the third and lower body of representatives in the States General (tf-v.).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Third Estate” mean?
The Commons, as the third estate of the realm coming after the Sovereign and the Peers. The term is a translation of the French Tiers Etat, being the third and lower body of representatives in the States General (tf-v.).
Is “Third Estate” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.