established church

noun

: a church recognized by law as the official church of a nation or state and supported by civil authority

Examples of established church in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Author Tony Ortega, who chronicles Scientology at his website The Underground Bunker, explains that this is established church protocol in action. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2022 In the message, the pope expressed concern for the laity and clergy of Germany if their leaders break with established church teaching. Fox News, 21 July 2022 Although not a signatory of that letter, Archbishop Justin Welby, the head of England’s established church and a fellow Etonian, is known to share that worry. The Economist, 27 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'established church.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1702, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of established church was circa 1702

Dictionary Entries Near established church

Cite this Entry

“Established church.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/established%20church. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

established church

noun
: a church recognized by law as the official church of a nation

More from Merriam-Webster on established church

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!