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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

institution en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˌɪn.stɪˈtu.ʃən/ (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/ yod-coalescence
  • /ˌɪn.stɪˈtjuː.ʃən/ non-yod-coalescence
  • (US) audio
  • /ˌɪn.stɪˈtjʉː.ʃən/ (Australia)

Etymology

From Middle English institucioun, from Old French institution, from Latin institūtiō, from instituō (“to set up”), from in- (“in, on”) + statuō (“to set up, establish”). Equivalent to institute + -ion.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) A long-established organization or type of organization, particularly one involved with education, public service, or charity work.
    • The University of the South Pacific is the only internationally accredited institution of higher education in Oceania.
    • As both a social and a religious institution, the parish provided "the support and help" that the immigrants needed in the New World. 2011, Jay P. Dolan, The American Catholic Experience: A History from Colonial Times to the Present, page 181:
    • It was Murray's determination that finally motivated Nathan to agree to purchase the restaurant and convert it to the Coney Island-named institution, Nathan's Famous. 2016, William Handwerker, Jayne A. Pearl, Nathan's Famous: An Unauthorized View of America's Favorite Frankfurter Company, page 52:
    • […] these professors of Little Red Schoolhouse-education did not themselves remain in the isolated and handicapped little institution they glorify. 1922, Annual Meeting, volume 55, Maryland State Teachers' Association, page 67:
    • It is a common misconception […] that the American Mob began as an Italian institution transplanted directly from Sicily. 2009, T. J. English, Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster:
    • Who could be against reason, science, humanism, or progress? The words seem saccharine, the ideals unexceptionable. They define the missions of all the institutions of modernity—schools, hospitals, charities, news agencies, democratic governments, international organizations. Do these ideals really need a defense? They absolutely do. Since the 1960s, trust in the institutions of modernity has sunk, and the second decade of the 21st century saw the rise of populist movements that blatantly repudiate the ideals of the Enlightenment. 2018, Steven Pinker, “Chapter 3: Counter-Enlightenments”, in Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, Penguin, →ISBN:
  2. (countable, uncountable) A custom or practice of a society or community.
    • The institution of marriage is present in many cultures but its details vary widely across them.
    • To the cynical observation that speech is given us to conceal our thoughts it might be added that eating and drinking enable us to hide our feelings. I think that is why food is an institution almost whenever human beings have anything to say to one another. 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
  3. (countable, uncountable) The building or buildings which house such an organization.
    • He's been in an institution since the crash.
  4. (countable, informal, uncountable) A mental institution.
  5. (countable, uncountable) Any facility where people (especially those who are mentally or physically disabled or sick, or who are prisoners) are committed (confined), where their freedom to leave is restricted.
  6. (countable, informal, uncountable) Any long established and respected place or business.
    • [quoting Giles Coren] "The Wykeham Arms [a pub] is destroyed. They have turned a great old English institution into a shameful clip-joint. It's a shuddering, howling tragedy." 2009 February 19, Gareth Lewis, “Giles Coren slams Winchester pub The Wykeham Arms”, in Southern Daily Echo:
    • Over time, the local pub has become something of an institution.
  7. (countable, informal, uncountable) A person long established in a place, position, or field.
    • She's not just any old scholar; she is an institution.
  8. (countable, uncountable) The act of instituting something.
    • Accordingly if we can show that a barbarous custom, like that of the priesthood of Nemi, has existed elsewhere; if we can detect the motives which led to its institution; if we can prove that these motives have operated widely, perhaps universally, in human society... 1894, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough:
    • The institution of higher speed limits was a popular move but increased the severity of crashes.
  9. (countable, uncountable) The act by which a bishop commits a cure of souls to a priest.
  10. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) That which institutes or instructs, particularly a textbook or system of elements or rules.
  11. (countable, informal, uncountable) A correctional institution.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
institutions Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

peculiar institution · institutionwide · counterinstitution · institutionize · educational institution · macroinstitution · memory institution · institutionism · correctional institution · credit institution · non-institution · higher institution · institutionary · young offender institution · words of institution · superinstitution · multi-institution · mental institution · acquiring financial institution · institution-building · financial institution · zombie institution · academic institution · research institution · noninstitution · mechanics' institution · reinstitution

Relateds

institutionalist · institutionalism · institutional · institute

Synonyms

establishment

Translations (122)

uk інститу́ція (established organisation) · be iнстыту́цыя (established organisation) · sk inštitúcia (established organisation) · cmn 機關 /机关 (established organisation) · bg учрежде́ние (established organisation) · pl instytucja (custom or practice of a society or community) · eo institucio (established organisation) · uk інститу́ція (custom or practice of a society or community) · kk идара (established organisation) · el προσωπικότητα (person long established with a certain place or position) · hi संस्था (established organisation) · tr müessese (established organisation) · sh институ́ција (established organisation) · az quruluş (established organisation) · fi instituutio (person long established with a certain place or position) · es institución (established organisation) · id institusi (established organisation) · ja 制度 (custom or practice of a society or community) · ru институ́т (custom or practice of a society or community) · de Institution (established organisation) · vi thể chế (custom or practice of a society or community) · cmn 機構 /机构 (established organisation) · hy հաստատություն (established organisation) · sip ཉམ་ཞིབ་ཁང (established organisation) · fi instituutio (custom or practice of a society or community) · tg муассиса (established organisation) · fa-ira اِدارِه (established organisation) · be інстыту́цыя (custom or practice of a society or community) · sv institut (established organisation) · sw chuo (established organisation) · sw taasisi (established organisation) · ru организа́ция (established organisation) · gl institución (established organisation) · mk установа (custom or practice of a society or community) · de Institution (person long established with a certain place or position) · gd stèidheachadh (established organisation) · kk жүйе (custom or practice of a society or community) · tl gawiin (custom or practice of a society or community) · ru институ́ция (established organisation) · fi laitos (established organisation) · be інстыту́т (custom or practice of a society or community) · ru учрежде́ние (established organisation) · da institution (established organisation) · pl instytucja (person long established with a certain place or position) · az müəssisə (established organisation) · ru институ́ция (custom or practice of a society or community) · ko 제도 (custom or practice of a society or community) · ar مُؤَسَّسَة (established organisation) · pt instituição (established organisation) · tl tatagin (established organisation) · hi संस्थान (established organisation) · cmn 制度 (custom or practice of a society or community) · hi रीति (custom or practice of a society or community) · bg институ́ция (custom or practice of a society or community) · lv iestāde (established organisation) · de Institution (custom or practice of a society or community) · da institution (custom or practice of a society or community) · fi toimielin (established organisation) · th สถาบัน (established organisation) · id pranata (custom or practice of a society or community) · ja 機構 (established organisation) · uk устано́ва (established organisation) · ml സ്ഥാപനം (established organisation) · el μορφή (person long established with a certain place or position) · be устано́ва (established organisation) · az təsisat (custom or practice of a society or community) · bg институ́ция (person long established with a certain place or position) · uk організа́ція (established organisation) · hy ինստիտուտ (established organisation) · el ίδρυμα (established organisation) · cs instituce (custom or practice of a society or community) · mk институција (established organisation) · nb institusjon (established organisation) · cs instituce (established organisation) · ru ве́домство (established organisation) · ota قوروم (established organisation) · mi whareako (established organisation) · tg ташкилот (established organisation) · fa-ira سازْمان (established organisation) · be арганіза́цыя (established organisation) · uk інститу́т (custom or practice of a society or community) · hu intézmény (established organisation) · pl instytucja (established organisation) · bg организа́ция (established organisation) · ru заведе́ние (established organisation) · id institusi (custom or practice of a society or community) · uk за́клад (established organisation) · fr institution (established organisation) · el θεσμός (custom or practice of a society or community) · it istituzione (established organisation) · sq institucion (established organisation) · nl instelling (established organisation) · tr kurum (established organisation) · fa-ira رَسْم (custom or practice of a society or community) · fi instituutio (established organisation) · is stofnun (established organisation) · ja 機関 (established organisation) · fa-ira مُؤَسِّسِه (established organisation) · bg пра́ктика (custom or practice of a society or community) · tg идора (established organisation) · uz idora (established organisation) · bg институ́ция (established organisation) · ur اِدارَہ (established organisation) · ko 기관 (established organisation) · tr kuruluş (established organisation) · mk установа (established organisation) · hu intézmény (custom or practice of a society or community) · sh institúcija (established organisation) · kk ведомство (established organisation) · sl institucija (established organisation) · uz tashkilot (established organisation) · uz muassasa (established organisation) · ckb دەزگا (established organisation) · hy հիմնում (established organisation) · lo ສະຖາບັນ (established organisation) · ota قوروم (custom or practice of a society or community) · ro instituție (established organisation) · vi cơ quan (established organisation) · hi प्रथा (custom or practice of a society or community) · vi thiết chế (established organisation) · ca institució (established organisation) · hi प्रतिष्ठान (established organisation)