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

What scientists still need to establish is whether those biochemical differences translate into important differences in long-term health.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

In June, a US plan to establish an Ebola treatment facility at a military base in the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki sparked concern, with Kenyans reacting furiously about the risks of cross-border infection.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Jaguar executive Rawdon Glover told you that the brand’s 2024 teaser video and concept car were just meant to establish a “conceptual world.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Members of the union in Taoyuan have "obtained the legal right to conduct a strike and establish strike picket lines", union secretary Chen Yen-kai told a news conference.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

It is, in fact, just like the grid used by artists to establish the picture plane, and its representation requires the same techniques as the representation of a tiled floor.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Although the settlement establishes a workforce fund to retrain displaced workers, lawyers note it does not block job cuts.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

The heavy institutional buying establishes a firm price floor, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

"But as of today... there is no information that solidly establishes Morocco's responsibility for the wave we faced on July 31."

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

"Our new work establishes that sucralose-6-acetate is genotoxic," Susan Schiffman said when the findings were announced in 2023.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

But once a science establishes itself it becomes, to a remarkable degree, autonomous, immune to influence from other fields.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

The Tennessee Department of Correction said that it followed established protocol and that the drug has consistently been effective.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

“Hey Arnold!” built on the narrative foundation the group had established on their previous show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

By Wednesday, the autumn chill will be firmly established and it is expected to be the first day since 11 June when temperatures fail to reach 20C anywhere in the UK.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

In France, no link has yet been established between the student movement and any religious or identity-based demands.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

Each game that he played, or analyzed, whether his or others’, established a processional of insight.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

The documents said that would be "crucial in establishing a mental health defense", adding that "bears on the issue of guilt".

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Bakker put down roots quickly, establishing his Morningside Church and a studio for “The Jim Bakker Show.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

This would use silviculture, the branch of forestry that deals with establishing, growing and tending forests.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

The Pentagon memo establishing the office says it cannot “compel religious participation” or diminish the rights of service members, civilian employees or family members “of any faith or no faith.”

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

It was almost November, but the junior high school teachers were still out of the city establishing revolutionary ties, and no one could enroll us new students.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang

Related Words

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