Which institution's name literally means 'a representative assembly of the three estates' and existed before the Revolution?

• A. Estates
• B. Old Regime
• C. French Revolution
• D. Estates-General

Answer: (D)

Estates-General is the phrase that literally describes a representative gathering of the three estates—the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. It existed before the Revolution as the formal body convened by the king to advise on affairs like taxation and law. Each estate sent delegates, and while the assembly was not continuously in session, its purpose was precisely to bring together all three groups to discuss matters of state. The other terms don’t fit this description: one refers to the social groups themselves, another to the broader system of governance, and the last to the revolutionary event, not to a pre-revolution institution.