To remove official status or privileges from an institution, especially a church; to end official support or recognition.
From prefix dis- (reverse) plus establish (to set up or make official), from Old French 'establir.' The term became prominent in 19th-century debates about separating church and state.
The most famous use was when Britain disestablished the Church of Ireland in 1869—ending its official government support after 300 years. It sparked enormous political debates about religious freedom that echo in modern church-state discussions.
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