institute

American  

[in-sti-toot, -tyoot] / ˈɪn stɪˌtut, -ˌtjut /

verb (used with object)

institutes, present (3rd person singular) instituted, past participle, past instituting present participle

1. to set up; establish; organize.

   to institute a government.

2. to inaugurate; initiate; start.

   to institute a new course in American literature.

3. to set in operation.

   to institute a lawsuit.

4. to bring into use or practice.

   to institute laws.

5. to establish in an office or position.

6. Ecclesiastical. to assign to or invest with a spiritual charge, as of a parish.

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noun

institutes plural

1. a society or organization for carrying on a particular work, as of a literary, scientific, or educational character.

2. the building occupied by such a society.

3. Education.

   1. an institution, generally beyond the secondary school level, devoted to instruction in technical subjects, usually separate but sometimes organized as a part of a university.

   2. a unit within a university organized for advanced instruction and research in a relatively narrow field of subject matter.

   3. a short instructional program set up for a special group interested in a specialized field or subject.

4. an established principle, law, custom, or organization.

5. institutes,

   1. an elementary textbook of law designed for beginners.

   2. Also called Institutes of Justinian.  (initial capital letter) an elementary treatise on Roman law in four books, forming one of the four divisions of the Corpus Juris Civilis.

6. something instituted.

institute British  

/ ˈɪnstɪˌtjuːt /

verb

1. to organize; establish

2. to initiate

   to institute a practice

3. to establish in a position or office; induct

4. to install (a clergyman) in a church

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noun

1. an organization founded for particular work, such as education, promotion of the arts, or scientific research

2. the building where such an organization is situated

3. something instituted, esp a rule, custom, or precedent

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• institutor
  noun
• uninstituted
  adjective
• well-instituted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• institutes
  plural

Participles

• instituting
  present
• instituted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• institute
  simple
• institutes
  simple
• have instituted
  perfect
• has instituted
  perfect
• am instituting
  progressive
• are instituting
  progressive
• is instituting
  progressive
• have been instituting
  perfect progressive
• has been instituting
  perfect progressive

Past

• instituted
  simple
• had instituted
  perfect
• was instituting
  progressive
• were instituting
  progressive
• had been instituting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will institute
  simple
• will have instituted
  perfect
• will be instituting
  progressive
• will have been instituting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of institute

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Latin institūtus, past participle of instituere “to set, put up, establish,” equivalent to in- ”in” + -stitū- (combining form of statū-, stem of statuere “to place upright, set, stand” ) + -tus past participle suffix; see in- ², stand

Explanation

An institute is an organization or association designed to study or promote something. If you're interested in politics, you might want to do an internship at one of Washington D.C.'s many political research institutes. While you may have heard of an institute, whether it’s the National Institute for Art Advancement or the National Cancer Institute, you may not know institute in its verb form. To institute something means to establish or advance it. You might institute the hiring of Spanish-speakers at your company, or, if workers complain about being overworked, you might institute a new policy on taking breaks.

Example Sentences

Next on the list were the California Institute of Technology and Harvard University, with each having slightly more than 8% of its 2025 computer science class becoming founders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

In its court petition in May to stop the construction, rights group the Katiba Institute warned that the arrangement posed "grave and imminent risks" to public health.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

His alma mater, New York University, named its art school’s music division the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026

The study was conducted through a collaboration involving Kyoto University, the University of Tokyo, the University of Osaka, the National University of Singapore, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science.

From Science Daily • Jun. 21, 2026

President Davis at the Institute was sitting in his office when he received a call.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• appoint
• come up with
• create
• enact
• establish
• inaugurate
• initiate
• install
• introduce
• launch
• organize
• set up