establish

American  

[ih-stab-lish] / ɪˈstæb lɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

• establishes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• established,
  past participle,  past
• establishing
  present participle

1. to found, institute, build, or bring into being on a firm or stable basis.

   to establish a university; to establish a medical practice.

   Synonyms:

   organize, form

   Antonyms:

   abolish

2. to install or settle in a position, place, business, etc..

   to establish one's child in business.

3. to show to be valid or true; prove.

   to establish the facts of the matter.

   Synonyms:

   substantiate, verify

   Antonyms:

   disprove

4. to cause to be accepted or recognized.

   to establish a custom; She established herself as a leading surgeon.

5. to bring about permanently.

   to establish order.

6. to enact, appoint, or ordain for permanence, as a law; fix unalterably.

   Synonyms:

   decree

7. to make (a church) a national or state institution.

8. Cards. to obtain control of (a suit) so that one can win all the subsequent tricks in it.

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establish British  

/ ɪˈstæblɪʃ /

verb

1. to make secure or permanent in a certain place, condition, job, etc

   to establish one's usefulness

   to establish a house

2. to create or set up (an organization, etc) on or as if on a permanent basis

   to establish a company

3. to prove correct or free from doubt; validate

   to establish a fact

4. to cause (a principle, theory, etc) to be widely or permanently accepted

   to establish a precedent

5. to give (a Church) the status of a national institution

6. (of a person) to become recognized and accepted

   he established himself as a reliable GP

7. (in works of imagination) to cause (a character, place, etc) to be credible and recognized

   the first scene established the period

8. cards to make winners of (the remaining cards of a suit) by forcing out opponents' top cards

9. (also intr) botany

   1. to cause (a plant) to grow or (of a plant) to grow in a new place

      the birch scrub has established over the past 25 years

   2. to become or cause to become a sapling or adult plant from a seedling

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Synonym Usage

See fix.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• establisher
  noun
• reestablish
  verb (used with object)
• superestablish
  verb (used with object)
• establishable
  adjective
• unestablishable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• establishing
  present
• established
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• establish
  simple
• establishes
  simple
• have established
  perfect
• has established
  perfect
• am establishing
  progressive
• are establishing
  progressive
• is establishing
  progressive
• have been establishing
  perfect progressive
• has been establishing
  perfect progressive

Past

• established
  simple
• had established
  perfect
• was establishing
  progressive
• were establishing
  progressive
• had been establishing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will establish
  simple
• will have established
  perfect
• will be establishing
  progressive
• will have been establishing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of establish

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English establissen, establishen, from Middle French establiss-, extended stem of establir, from Latin stabilīre, derivative of stabilis stable ²

Explanation

To establish something means to begin it or bring it about. If you want everyone in your family to bring you chocolate every evening, you can establish a “Chocolates for Me” policy requiring it. Establish is related to stable through its Latin roots and has many meanings, but all have the feel of building on a stable foundation. Besides the meaning of setting a policy, establish can also mean to prove one's value. You should establish yourself in a community before you try to bring change to it. Similarly, if you like to debate controversial issues, you'd best begin with facts that have been established and are not open to question. If you have a lot of money and want to build up your community, you can establish, or found, a school or library there.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

establish establishes established establishing

He wants the government to help local miners establish safer and more effective ways of finding and extracting the gold.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

"We are currently using the available channels and resources to establish the circumstances of the case."

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Under Sheinbaum’s blueprint, broadcasters would be required to develop codes of ethics, name ombudsmen to represent viewers and listeners, and establish mechanisms to receive and evaluate complaints.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Even so, these genetic differences appear to establish a distinct biological starting point that could affect a person's susceptibility to disease.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

All while he was attempting to establish a life in Budapest, and yet alienating everyone around him, Bobby was also trying to win over Zita.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

None of that establishes that political access changed the government’s response.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

"By enabling heat to be guided, focused and redistributed with nanoscale precision at room temperature, the discovery establishes a foundation for quantum thermal engineering."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026

“This year, investors have been more sensitive to Shopify’s cost management and margin dilution, and we believe today’s print largely abates those concerns, and establishes an upward trajectory for FCF margins going forward,” Shao wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Enter the Senate’s 616-page Clarity Act, which establishes a regulatory framework for digital assets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Begin with an introduction that establishes the purpose for all the information that’s to follow.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin

Its secretariat has been established and the first verification mission is due to take place on Monday in Minembwe, an area of South Kivu affected by fighting.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Instead of the smaller pot's smooth surface, the larger vessel was rough, and its material does not appear to match established local pottery traditions.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

But in March, ICE and GEO Group established a new contract that says the opposite — that “applicable or more stringent state or local laws or regulations shall not apply.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Industry experts remain sceptical, saying that even if more vessels start going through, the bulk of global shipping will remain along established lines for the foreseeable future.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

And so was established the pattern our lives were to follow for over twenty years.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

They discussed issues such as establishing "a special operations room" in Jordan under US supervision to prevent any confrontation in Syria, including involving Turkey, the sources added.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

"Since the attack took place, we have been unwavering in our commitment to establishing the full picture behind the incident and identifying anybody who may have been involved in any way."

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

C-Beauty’s next phase of overseas expansion will require establishing long-term brand equity through physical retail, compliance with local regulations and products tailored to local consumers, it said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

He later declined to seek a third presidential term, establishing the two-term tradition eventually written into the Constitution.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Kabuo recognized Carl’s neat hand in things, his way of establishing a rigid order, the force that had driven him, years before, to keep his tackle box shipshape.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Related Words

• authorize
• base
• build
• create
• enact
• form
• found
• inaugurate
• install
• institute
• provide
• put
• settle
• start