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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

According to the proposed reconstruction, the sect likely used the calendar during its early history, when disagreements over religious dates contributed to its separation from the Jerusalem establishment.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

“Evidence shows that the business, marketed to male customers, had a high volume of men entering the establishment over a short period of time each day,” the D.A.’s office said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Saleh said he ordered the establishment of a fallback command hub in a secure position to reorganize.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

At the moment, the DP World Tour looks to have emerged stronger by offering a path back to the golf establishment for those golfers who do not want to hang around for LIV 2.0.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Theo is part of the stodgy establishment, a company man, while Vincent is the passionate worker, the artist.

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

The reports cover the three armed services, the Atomic Weapons Establishment, and an overall narrative.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

It represents what might be called an Establishment Modernism, befitting a confident institution secure in its sense of self.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2025

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

From Salon ● Dec. 17, 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

Members of the Moneyist Facebook Group also suggest remembering the staff in your 24-hour bonanza at these two establishments.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

The judges also raised a question - was the regulator applying the same scrutiny to government establishments as it was to private businesses?

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Some establishments near Fenway Park started comparing driver’s licenses presented by patrons to the Apple IDs on their phones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

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

They quietly occupied the stores, some sitting at tables reading and working on homework assignments, until the owners shut down their establishments in the middle of the afternoon.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

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