Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2027 exam
Verified for the 2027 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Definition
The traditional medieval and early modern social structure dividing society into three orders: clergy, nobility, and commoners, with fixed status and legal privileges determined by birth.
AP course connection
Topic 2.6: 2.6 16th-Century Society & Politics in Europe