feudal estates

Feudal estates were the divisions of medieval European society based on social function and legal status.

The traditional three estates were the clergy (those who pray), the nobility (those who fight), and the commoners (those who work).

This classification shaped political representation—France's Estates-General and England's Parliament originally organized by estate.

The press became known as the fourth estate for its influence on public affairs.

In property law, an estate refers to one's interest in land, a usage that derives from this feudal system of ranked social positions.