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 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.” )

established church

²

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 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of established church¹

First recorded in 1650–60