Meaning & use
Estates-General
A legislative assembly in pre-revolutionary France made up of representatives from the clergy, nobility, and commoners.
See it in a sentence
King Louis XVI summoned the Estates-General in 1789 to address the financial crisis.
Disputes over voting procedure in the Estates-General helped trigger the French Revolution.
A note on using this word
Refers to a specific historical French institution (États-Généraux), distinct from the later National Assembly it gave rise to.
Words with a similar meaning
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