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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

Veerain Reddy, the third generation of his family running the 50-year-old theatre, said maintaining the establishment "was not an easy task".

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Then, Murphy said, he believes Bass needs to attack Raman as being more establishment than Bass.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

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

The Michelin Guide considers a two-star establishment as one that does "excellent cooking" and is "worth a detour".

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Maxim and I had lunch with Frank at his bachelor establishment next door to the office to be out of the way.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

It’s now the largest supplier of seamless gutters in Texas, employs around 350 people and had around $50 million in sales in 2021, according to the National Establishment Time Series database.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Wills, who is himself a Catholic, called the separation of church and state embodied in the First Amendment’s Establishment clause “a stunning innovation,” the one unique, genius thing about our nation’s founding document.

From Salon ● Mar. 8, 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

They say are currently unable to access their records because the samples have been reclassified as "scientific data" and placed at the MoD's Atomic Weapons Establishment research facility.

From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2024

They brought their protest songs and their demands to the Establishment, because the Establishment was in control.

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia

The change means businesses will no longer be required to let people use physical ID, but the government contends most establishments would.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

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

He cited Bathhouse and Othership, but those hip wellness places are brick-and-mortar establishments, not pop-up events.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

By 2015, as smartphones became ubiquitous, competitors like Resy, Tock, Reserve and SevenRooms pitched slicker apps for customers and iPad interfaces for restaurants, along with better business terms and access to diner data for establishments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Twentysomethings leaning out of any number of establishments looking beautiful and cool.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Related Words

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