institution
Americannoun
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institutions
plural
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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.
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the building occupied by such an establishment.
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a public or private place for the care or confinement of inmates, especially mental patients or other persons with physical or mental disabilities.
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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.
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any established law, custom, etc.
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any familiar, long-established person, thing, or practice; fixture.
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the act of instituting or setting up; establishment.
the institution of laws.
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Ecclesiastical.
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the origination of the Eucharist, and enactment of its observance, by Christ.
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the investment of a member of the clergy with a spiritual charge.
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noun
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the act of instituting
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an organization or establishment founded for a specific purpose, such as a hospital, church, company, or college
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the building where such an organization is situated
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an established custom, law, or relationship in a society or community
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Also called: institutional investor. a large organization, such as an insurance company, bank, or pension fund, that has substantial sums to invest on a stock exchange
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informal a constant feature or practice
Jones' drink at the bar was an institution
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the appointment or admission of an incumbent to an ecclesiastical office or pastoral charge
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Christian theol the creation of a sacrament by Christ, esp the Eucharist
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of institution
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin institūtiōn-, stem of institūtiō; equivalent to institute + -ion
Explanation
Universities, banks, and hospitals are all institutions. Until you arrived at the bank, you'd forgotten that financial institutions were closed for the holiday. Thank goodness for the ATM! The noun institution also refers to a long held custom or practice in society. Even if your parents divorced when you were young, you might strongly believe in the institution of marriage. Or you might believe that once you enter the institution of marriage, your next stop will probably be a mental institution. Institution can also describe the act of putting something in place. The institution of new traffic rules — green means stop and red means go — caused a bit of confusion.
Vocabulary lists containing institution
Excerpts from "To Kill a Mockingbird"
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"Democracy in America, Vol. 1" by Alexis de Tocqueville, Introduction–Chapter 5
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Lincoln Inaugural Address (March 1861)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Every institution with a half-century of history is.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
“It is an institution asking to keep its doors open in a neighborhood that it has belonged to for 60 years.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Although the support was for a handful of students, it was a reputational coup for the university - allowing it to position itself as a more open and inclusive institution.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Your bank or financial institution may have a tool on its online portal that breaks down how you’re spending by category.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Moni is confined to a mental institution in Calcutta.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
It believes that such "iconic franchises and cultural institutions rooted in tradition, identity, and shared experience" will not just survive the AI revolution, but "will matter even more", according to its website.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
The company also is being asked to provide free broadband and Wi-Fi service for about 50 eligible institutions, including schools, libraries and community centers for several years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
CJP founder, Abhijeet Dipke, has called for "a public movement to restore trust and neutrality in public institutions".
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
Arendt had spent years among institutions that preserved continuity imperfectly—and could fail catastrophically.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
He didn't care about repressive institutions and he certainly didn't plan to be underfoot.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
