deinstitutionalize

or de-in·sti·tu·tion·al·ize

[ dee-in-sti-too-shuh-nl-ahyz, -tyoo-, dee-in- ]

verb (used with object)

, de·in·sti·tu·tion·al·ized, de·in·sti·tu·tion·al·iz·ing.

1. to release (a person with mental or physical disabilities) from a hospital, asylum, home, or other institution with the intention of providing treatment, support, or rehabilitation primarily through community resources under the supervision of healthcare professionals or facilities.
2. to remove (care, therapy, etc.) from the confines of an institution by providing treatment, support, or the like through community facilities.
3. to free from the confines or limitations of an institution.
4. to free from the bureaucracy and complex procedures associated with institutions.

verb (used without object)

, de·in·sti·tu·tion·al·ized, de·in·sti·tu·tion·al·iz·ing.

1. to give up or lose institutional character or status; become deinstitutionalized.

Other Words From

• de·insti·tution·al·i·zation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deinstitutionalize¹

First recorded in 1960–65; de- + institutionalize