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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

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Etymology

Origin of establishment

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

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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

She thinks that’s wrong—that the distrust of the medical establishment that began in the 1970s did lasting damage.

From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026

Jordan, a former champion wrestler who has represented Ohio in Congress since 2007, built his reputation as a political brawler and fierce critic of the Republican establishment.

From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026

But following the withdrawal of the Islamist militant group al-Shabab from most of the city in 2011, and the establishment of the federal government in 2012, Mogadishu has undergone a gradual transformation.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

What began as a protest by high-school students seeking better schools has morphed into a widespread and sometimes violent expression of anger against the French establishment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

Like almost all other English scientists, he joined the war effort and became part of the Admiralty’s scientific establishment.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

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

This year, 4,000 pages of documents from the Atomic Weapons Establishment were declassified after a long Freedom of Information fight.

From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2024

The blood was flown to a national laboratory in Belgium and to the English national laboratory, the Microbiological Research Establishment at Porton Down, in Wiltshire.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Westminster is no stranger to these types of establishments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026

We have traditionally regulated marketplaces at the federal level and retail establishments at the state level.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

In the world's most populous country, the need for high-end hospitality workers is immense, fuelled by economic growth and the rise of a middle class that travels more and increasingly eats at plush establishments.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

You will likely encounter it only as a rumor from the deepest bowels of the world’s top intelligence establishments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

“You, my sweet, innocent children, are going to deliver this precious cargo to the fine establishments of our fair city. In your charming wagon, of course.”

From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm

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Related Words

• formation
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• founding
• inauguration
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