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

Aside from his choice of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, this time there's nary an establishment figure anywhere to be seen as he chooses his new Cabinet and White House staff.

From Salon

The mainstream media and the pundits, those establishment voices keep getting the story wrong for a variety of reasons.

From Salon

“If you walk into retail establishments, everything you want is behind locked plastic cases, “ McDonnell said.

From Los Angeles Times

Gabbard, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve who served in Iraq, has long been critical of foreign policy establishment.

From Salon

Of all the president-elect’s picks for his administration so far, this is easily the most controversial - and sends a clear message that Trump intends to shake up the establishment when he returns to power.

From BBC

Related Words

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

More About Establishment

What does establishment mean?

Establishment commonly refers to the official start or founding of something, such as a law, business, or other organization, as in It has been 200 years since the establishment of this great nation. 

It is the noun form of the verb establish, which has many meanings but most commonly means to found, institute, or bring into being.

Things that have been established are called establishments, especially businesses, as in I try to buy from local establishments whenever possible. 

Establishment is also used more specifically to refer collectively to the existing power structure in a society and its dominant institutions, as in That kind of radical thinking is frowned upon by the establishment. This use is often negative. It can also be used in a similar way to refer to the dominant group in a particular field, as in the medical establishment. In both of these cases, Establishment is often capitalized.

Where does establishment come from?

The first records of establishment come from the late 1400s. It is the noun form of the verb establish, which comes from the Old French establir, from the Latin stabilīre, meaning “to make firm.” This comes from the Latin stabilis, which means “stable” and is the basis of the word stable.

The word establishment usually applies to things that are stable, lasting, and often permanent. The establishment of a law is its official adoption. The establishment of an organization is its founding.

When establishment is used to refer to a company, it often means a small business—like the kind that has Established 1992 on its sign or front window to show how long it’s been in business.

When people talk about the Establishment, they’re referring to the powers that be—the established institutions and authorities. When used in this way, it’s most often used negatively to criticize such powers. This sense of the word is often used more narrowly to refer to the dominant group in a particular field, as in the political establishment or the literary establishment. Such uses are not necessarily negative. Establishment can also be used as an adjective to describe related things, as in establishment thinking. 

Much more specifically, establishment can refer to a country’s recognition of a church as the official state church. People who support this are called establishmentarians. Those who want church and state to be separate are called disestablishmentarians. Those who oppose this separation are called antidisestablishmentarians, and their opposition is called antidisestablishmentarianism (which is a famously long word). Glad we’ve got that established!

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to establishment?

• establish (verb)
• nonestablishment (noun)
• reestablishment (noun)
• superestablishment (noun)

What are some synonyms for establishment?

• business
• organization
• institution
• founding
• formation

What are some words that share a root or word element with establishment? 

• stable
• stabilize

What are some words that often get used in discussing establishment?

 

• found
• implement
• start
• power
• structure
• authority

How is establishment used in real life?

The word establishment is very common and used in many contexts. When it refers to the powers that be, it is often used negatively.

To get a real feel of the campus eat a meal in the student cafeteria and visit local establishments around campus.

— College Advisor (@Consult4College) November 19, 2010

This year we are marking 100 years since the establishment of the League of Nations, the first modern multilateral institution and a direct predecessor of the United Nations. The International Labour Organization @ilo is also marking its centenary.#Multilateralism100 #Geneva pic.twitter.com/7cc244z10M

— UN Geneva (@UNGeneva) December 24, 2019

Slowly and quizzically, establishment thinkers are just now popping up their heads to entertain the notion that this is not a story of partisan business as usual.

But we can't see land anymore.
We've drifted too far from shore

— 5'7" Black Male (@absurdistwords) March 17, 2018

 

 

Try using establishment!

Which of the following terms is NOT a synonym for the Establishment?

A. the powerless
B. the powers that be
C. the dominant institutions
D. the authorities