institute

[in-sti-toot, -tyoot]

verb (used with object)

instituted, instituting 

1. to set up; establish; organize.

   to institute a government.

2. to inaugurate; initiate; start.

   to institute a new course in American literature.

3. to set in operation.

   to institute a lawsuit.

4. to bring into use or practice.

   to institute laws.

5. to establish in an office or position.

6. Ecclesiastical.,  to assign to or invest with a spiritual charge, as of a parish.

noun

1. a society or organization for carrying on a particular work, as of a literary, scientific, or educational character.

2. the building occupied by such a society.

3. Education.

   1. an institution, generally beyond the secondary school level, devoted to instruction in technical subjects, usually separate but sometimes organized as a part of a university.

   2. a unit within a university organized for advanced instruction and research in a relatively narrow field of subject matter.

   3. a short instructional program set up for a special group interested in a specialized field or subject.

4. an established principle, law, custom, or organization.

5. institutes,

   1. an elementary textbook of law designed for beginners.

   2. Also called Institutes of Justinian. (initial capital letter),  an elementary treatise on Roman law in four books, forming one of the four divisions of the Corpus Juris Civilis.

6. something instituted.

institute

/ ˈɪnstɪˌtjuːt /

verb

1. to organize; establish

2. to initiate

   to institute a practice

3. to establish in a position or office; induct

4. to install (a clergyman) in a church

noun

1. an organization founded for particular work, such as education, promotion of the arts, or scientific research

2. the building where such an organization is situated

3. something instituted, esp a rule, custom, or precedent

Other Word Forms

• institutor noun
• reinstitute verb (used with object)
• uninstituted adjective
• well-instituted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of institute¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Latin institūtus, past participle of instituere “to set, put up, establish,” equivalent to in- ”in” + -stitū- (combining form of statū-, stem of statuere “to place upright, set, stand” ) + -tus past participle suffix; in- ², stand

Word History and Origins

Origin of institute¹

C16: from Latin instituere, from statuere to place, stand

Example Sentences

The share of Russian gas in the bloc's imports has dropped from 38 percent before the war to only seven percent today, according to an AFP calculation based on data from the Brussels-based Bruegel institute.

Read more on Barron's

Engineers have since instituted intensive monitoring and a multistage risk-assessment and response protocol to prevent such a disaster from happening again, Moore says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Preus said as a result of this experience, his school will institute a “more rigorous process” of reviewing bills and visiting homes of transfer students before sending in paperwork for a valid change of residence.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Doudna’s institute played a role in developing and ensuring the safety of the therapy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The government is also deploying new tools, such as instituting a price floor for the company’s rare earths, to help ensure it can withstand any future influx of low-price Chinese minerals.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• appoint 
• come up with 
• create 
• enact 
• establish 
• inaugurate 
• initiate 
• install 
• introduce 
• launch 
• organize 
• set up