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• 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.

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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

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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

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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

He took on the favored candidate of Amodei and others in the GOP establishment, James Settelmeyer, a former minority leader of the state Senate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

The medical establishment is split on the safety of cannabis for older Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

Have you made an appointment at that establishment and discussed the requirements for it?

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

But you could tell they had a story: Chud had been banned from their establishment.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

But over the last forty years, evangelicals have pulled steadily closer in income and education to mainline Protestants in the historically affluent establishment denominations.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Midlife Snoop is the Establishment, a company pillar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026

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

From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2024

The Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment was the first fire brigade in the world paid for by the city, free to the public.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2024

Establishment of the public-private research center is a coup for Southern California that “will cement California’s global, economic, scientific and technical dominance into the 22nd century and beyond,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2024

Nevertheless, the trial’s last session found a fair segment of the local Establishment seated alongside the plainer citizenry.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

The case against Rocha Moya and his alleged confederates sent shock waves through the country’s political and law enforcement establishments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Officials have linked this year's widespread outbreak to lettuce imported from Taylor Farms in Mexico, a key supplier for many food establishments in the US.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Another challenge is defending Aperol's distinctive character for a spritz -- which is not a registered trademark -- particularly in Italy, where some establishments serve lower-cost alternatives without clearly identifying them.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Between January 2020 and December 2025, California added 249,920 establishments and 580,862 jobs in healthcare and social assistance, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

In political organization, Polynesian islands ranged from landscapes divided into independent tribal or village units, up to multi-island proto-empires that devoted standing military establishments to invasions of other islands and wars of conquest.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

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