institutionalism

[in-sti-too-shuh-nl-iz-uhm, -tyoo-]

noun

1. the system of institutions or organized societies devoted to public, charitable, or similar purposes.

2. strong attachment to established institutions, as of religion.

3. the policy or practice of using public institutions to house and care for people considered incapable of caring for themselves.

4. the belief or policy that a church must maintain institutions of education, welfare, etc., for its members.

institutionalism

/ ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃənəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the system of or belief in institutions

Other Word Forms

• institutionalist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of institutionalism¹

First recorded in 1860–65; institutional + -ism

Example Sentences

Matsumoto stresses the anonymity of modern institutionalism through a proliferation of numbers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But a huge part of it is just this default institutionalism, this hidebound risk aversion that I think has become a real cultural problem in the Democratic Party.

Read more on Salon

Some of them were well-intentioned, like Attorney General Merrick Garland—who wanted to restore institutionalism to the Justice Department.

Read more on Slate

Boston University School of Law professor Jed Shugerman told Salon that particularly in the most recent Supreme Court term, Roberts has veered from institutionalism.

Read more on Salon

By staking its entire bid for relevance on ideas that are mostly advanced by the sitting president of the United States and his party, and on a belief in institutionalism that is already fervently supported by leading Democrats, the group all but doomed its efforts from the get-go.

Read more on Slate