Jump To:

• establishment
  establishment

  noun

  the act or an instance of establishing.
• Establishment
  Establishment

  noun

  a group or class of people having institutional authority within a society, esp those who control the civil service, the government, the armed forces, and the Church: usually identified with a conservative outlook

establishment

American  

[ih-stab-lish-muhnt] / ɪˈstæb lɪʃ mənt /

noun

• establishments
  plural

1. the act or an instance of establishing.

2. the state or fact of being established.

3. something established; a constituted order or system.

4. Often the Establishment

   1. the existing power structure in society; the dominant groups in society and their customs or institutions; institutional authority.

      The Establishment believes exploring outer space is worth any tax money spent.

   2. the dominant group in a field of endeavor, organization, etc..

      the literary Establishment.

5. a household; place of residence including its furnishings, grounds, etc.

6. a place of business together with its employees, merchandise, equipment, etc.

7. a permanent civil, military, or other force or organization.

8. an institution, as a school, hospital, etc.

9. the recognition by a state of a church as the state church.

10. the church so recognized, especially the Church of England.

11. Archaic. a fixed or settled income.

---

establishment ¹ British  

/ ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt /

noun

1. the act of establishing or state of being established

2. 1. a business organization or other large institution

   2. the place where a business is carried on

3. the staff and equipment of a commercial or other organization

4. the approved size, composition, and equipment of a military unit, government department, business division, etc, as formally promulgated

5. any large organization, institution, or system

6. a household or place of residence

7. a body of employees or servants

8. (modifier) belonging to or characteristic of the Establishment; orthodox or conservative

   the establishment view of history

---

Establishment ² British  

/ ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt /

noun

1. a group or class of people having institutional authority within a society, esp those who control the civil service, the government, the armed forces, and the Church: usually identified with a conservative outlook

---

Usage

What does establishment mean? Establishment commonly refers to the official start or founding of something, such as a law, business, or other organization, as in It has been 200 years since the establishment of this great nation. It is the noun form of the verb establish, which has many meanings but most commonly means to found, institute, or bring into being. Things that have been established are called establishments, especially businesses, as in I try to buy from local establishments whenever possible. Establishment is also used more specifically to refer collectively to the existing power structure in a society and its dominant institutions, as in That kind of radical thinking is frowned upon by the establishment. This use is often negative. It can also be used in a similar way to refer to the dominant group in a particular field, as in the medical establishment. In both of these cases, Establishment is often capitalized.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonestablishment
  noun
• reestablishment
  noun
• superestablishment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• establishments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of establishment

First recorded in 1475–85, and in 1920–25 establishment for def. 4a; establish + -ment

Explanation

Kids were more comfortable in school after the establishment of a no-tolerance bullying policy in the cafeteria. Establishment means setting up or something that has been set up. In the 1960s, the youth movement took on what they called "the establishment," by which they meant the way society was set up and organized. Their sentiments could be summed up in a word that is rumored to be one of the longest in the English language, if it actually exists: disestablishmentarianism.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

establishment Establishment establishments

After a brief honeymoon period, Piker was always going to find himself at odds with the establishment.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

Washington’s guardrails weren’t popular with the financial establishment when created, but they mostly are now.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

AFC is the largest military training establishment for under-19s in the UK and it receives all the Army's 16-year-old recruits.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Some of the specimens may date back to the arrival of the first Europeans and the establishment of the city during the 1840s.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

This could be to say: I’m not buying into all things Dutch, all things the establishment stands for.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Establishment of a new basing network in western Saudi Arabia wouldn’t have solved all problems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

The Constitution has the Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from “establishing” a national religion.

From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2024

Establishment support has coalesced around Assemblymember Luz Rivas, who is favored to take the seat in November.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2024

The prototype Royal Aircraft Establishment Mark III Catapult was unearthed at the site of a development at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2023

Mother’s being a midwife would subvert the Medical Establishment, but in order to be a midwife she needed a phone.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

The slicing and dicing of available tables can mean there are only so many seats at the most sought-after establishments, begetting a sense of scarcity at the highest levels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

The Confederation of Businesses of Ceuta had advised shops and other commercial establishments to remain closed "until security can be guaranteed".

From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026

Some establishments had plotted England's potential progress through the tournament and have already applied for and received an event notice.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

The reason for the separation between the businesses, Corley added, had to do with a defunct local law that forbade the two establishments existing under one umbrella.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

The House of the White Rose was one of the more luxurious establishments on West Stave.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Related Words

• formation
• formulation
• founding
• inauguration
• installation
• institution