Definition

1. Noun:
   • The common people: In historical European contexts, especially pre-revolutionary France, "third estate" refers to the ordinary citizens who were not part of the clergy (first estate) or the nobility (second estate). It encompassed the vast majority of the population, including peasants, merchants, artisans, and the bourgeoisie.

Usage

• The term is used primarily in historical and political discussions to describe a social class distinct from the privileged estates.
• It is often capitalized when referring to the specific French political body: the Third Estate.

Examples

• Noun:
  • In 1789, the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly, marking a pivotal moment in the French Revolution.
  • The grievances of the third estate were outlined in numerous petitions called cahiers de doléances.

Advanced Usage

• "The Third Estate": Used as a proper noun to refer specifically to the representative assembly of the commoners in France before the Revolution.
  • The Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath, vowing not to disband until a constitution was established.

Variants and Related Words

• Commoner (n): A person who is not of noble rank.
• Bourgeoisie (n): The middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes. Historically, a significant part of the third estate.
• Tiers état (n): The French term for "third estate."

Synonyms

• Commonality: The common people as opposed to the elite.
• Plebeians: (In ancient Rome) The commoners; often used more broadly to mean the general populace.
• Populace: The ordinary people in a country or area.

Related Phrases

• "What is the Third Estate? Everything.": A famous rhetorical question and answer from the pamphlet by Abbé Sieyès, arguing for the political sovereignty of the common people.

Noun

1. the common people