established church

noun

1. a church that is recognized by law, and sometimes financially supported, as the official church of a nation.

Established Church

noun

1. a Church that is officially recognized as a national institution, esp the Church of England

established church

¹

1. A church supported by the government as a national institution. The Church of England is an established church in England, as is the Lutheran Church in the countries of Scandinavia and the Presbyterian Church in Scotland.

established church

²

1. A religious denomination that receives financial and other support from the government, often to the exclusion of support for other denominations. (See under “World Literature, Philosophy, and Religion.”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Established Church¹

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

The Saints are not affiliated with an established church in Australia and count around two dozen members from three families among its members.

From BBC

But it is the Church of England that also has the privilege of being the “established Church” in England, and it is 26 Church of England bishops and archbishops who automatically get seats in the House of Lords.

From BBC

But it is the Church of England that also has the privilege of being the “established Church” in England, and it is 26 Church of England bishops and archbishops who automatically get seats in the House of Lords and vote on legislation.

From BBC

In 2012, Elizabeth said, “The concept of our established Church is occasionally misunderstood and, I believe, commonly underappreciated. Its role is not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of other religions. Instead, the Church has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country.”

From Washington Post

“It’s been difficult to defend having an established church since the beginning of the 20th century, but it is now becoming a figment of the imagination,” Scot Peterson, scholar of religion and the state at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, told the Guardian newspaper.

From Washington Times