institution

[ in-sti-too-shuhn, -tyoo- ]

noun

1. an organization, establishment, foundation, society, or the like, devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program, especially one of a public, educational, or charitable character:

   This college is the best institution of its kind.

2. the building occupied by such an establishment.
3. a public or private place for the care or confinement of inmates, especially mental patients or other persons with physical or mental disabilities.
4. Sociology. a well-established and structured pattern of behavior or of relationships that is accepted as a fundamental part of a culture, as marriage:

   the institution of the family.

5. any established law, custom, etc.
6. any familiar, long-established person, thing, or practice; fixture.
7. the act of instituting or setting up; establishment:

   the institution of laws.

8. Ecclesiastical.
   1. the origination of the Eucharist, and enactment of its observance, by Christ.
   2. the investment of a member of the clergy with a spiritual charge.

institution

/ ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən /

noun

1. the act of instituting
2. an organization or establishment founded for a specific purpose, such as a hospital, church, company, or college
3. the building where such an organization is situated
4. an established custom, law, or relationship in a society or community
5. Also calledinstitutional investor a large organization, such as an insurance company, bank, or pension fund, that has substantial sums to invest on a stock exchange
6. informal.
   a constant feature or practice

   Jones' drink at the bar was an institution

7. the appointment or admission of an incumbent to an ecclesiastical office or pastoral charge
8. Christian theol the creation of a sacrament by Christ, esp the Eucharist

Derived Forms

• ˌinstiˈtutionary, adjective

Other Words From

• counter·insti·tution noun
• nonin·sti·tution noun
• rein·sti·tution noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of institution¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin institūtiōn-, stem of institūtiō; equivalent to institute + -ion

Example Sentences

Originating in the KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa, on the Eastern Cape, the bird of paradise found its way to the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino sometime before 1932, when the institution’s record-keeping began, explains Kathy Musial, senior curator of living collections.

From Los Angeles Times

Roberts proceeded to name the “uni-party” as the real enemy, in a move that would have felt at home at one of Robert Kennedy Jr.’s campaign events, saying: “The institution in DC that stands in the way is not the Democrat Party or the Republican Party or just K Street. It is this antagonist known as the uni-party.”

From Salon

The donation will take the number of Chinese ceramics held by the British Museum to 10,000 pieces, making it one of the most important collections of such items of any public institution outside the Chinese-speaking world.

From BBC

“If they had some sense of where all that money goes, directly to beneficiaries, they never would have thrown around that $2-trillion figure,” said Elaine C. Kamarck, a senior fellow at the center-left Brookings Institution and head of efficiency initiatives under Clinton.

From Los Angeles Times

The La Cañada Flintridge research institution will let go of approximately 325 employees across the organization on Wednesday, or roughly 5% of its total staff, the memo stated.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• academy
• association
• business
• clinic
• company
• establishment
• foundation
• hospital
• institute
• school
• society
• system
• university