establishment

[ ih-stab-lish-muhnt ]

noun

1. the act or an instance of establishing.
2. the state or fact of being established.
3. something established; a constituted order or system.
4. Often the Establishment.
   1. the existing power structure in society; the dominant groups in society and their customs or institutions; institutional authority:

      The Establishment believes exploring outer space is worth any tax money spent.

   2. the dominant group in a field of endeavor, organization, etc.:

      the literary Establishment.

5. a household; place of residence including its furnishings, grounds, etc.
6. a place of business together with its employees, merchandise, equipment, etc.
7. a permanent civil, military, or other force or organization.
8. an institution, as a school, hospital, etc.
9. the recognition by a state of a church as the state church.
10. the church so recognized, especially the Church of England.
11. Archaic. a fixed or settled income.

establishment

¹

/ ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt /

noun

1. the act of establishing or state of being established
2. 1. a business organization or other large institution
   2. the place where a business is carried on
3. the staff and equipment of a commercial or other organization
4. the approved size, composition, and equipment of a military unit, government department, business division, etc, as formally promulgated
5. any large organization, institution, or system
6. a household or place of residence
7. a body of employees or servants
8. modifier belonging to or characteristic of the Establishment; orthodox or conservative

   the establishment view of history

Establishment

²

/ ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt /

noun

1. the Establishment
   a group or class of people having institutional authority within a society, esp those who control the civil service, the government, the armed forces, and the Church: usually identified with a conservative outlook

Other Words From

• non·es·tab·lish·ment noun adjective
• re·es·tab·lish·ment noun
• su·per·es·tab·lish·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of establishment¹

First recorded in 1475–85, and in 1920–25 establishment fordef 4a; establish + -ment

Example Sentences

But the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr, said the furore from the Washington establishment showed his father’s unconventional cabinet picks were just the kind of change-makers that American voters had elected him to usher in.

From BBC

For the most part, Lee had nothing but positive things to say about the sushi establishment.

From Salon

One was a teenage Sex Pistol who fought the establishment, and the other was an MP and former government minister.

From BBC

He has talked about firing hundreds of government-employed researchers as a method of remaking the government’s scientific establishment.

From Los Angeles Times

The best example may be the reign of Trofim Lysenko, who gained power over the entire scientific establishment of Soviet Russia beginning with Stalin’s regime and continuing under Nikita Khrushchev.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• formation
• formulation
• founding
• inauguration
• installation
• institution