institution
Americannoun
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institutions
plural
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an organization, establishment, foundation, society, or the like, devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program, especially one of a public, educational, or charitable character.
This college is the best institution of its kind.
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the building occupied by such an establishment.
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a public or private place for the care or confinement of inmates, especially mental patients or other persons with physical or mental disabilities.
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Sociology. a well-established and structured pattern of behavior or of relationships that is accepted as a fundamental part of a culture, as marriage.
the institution of the family.
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any established law, custom, etc.
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any familiar, long-established person, thing, or practice; fixture.
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the act of instituting or setting up; establishment.
the institution of laws.
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Ecclesiastical.
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the origination of the Eucharist, and enactment of its observance, by Christ.
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the investment of a member of the clergy with a spiritual charge.
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noun
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the act of instituting
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an organization or establishment founded for a specific purpose, such as a hospital, church, company, or college
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the building where such an organization is situated
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an established custom, law, or relationship in a society or community
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Also called: institutional investor. a large organization, such as an insurance company, bank, or pension fund, that has substantial sums to invest on a stock exchange
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informal a constant feature or practice
Jones' drink at the bar was an institution
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the appointment or admission of an incumbent to an ecclesiastical office or pastoral charge
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Christian theol the creation of a sacrament by Christ, esp the Eucharist
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of institution
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin institūtiōn-, stem of institūtiō; equivalent to institute + -ion
Explanation
Universities, banks, and hospitals are all institutions. Until you arrived at the bank, you'd forgotten that financial institutions were closed for the holiday. Thank goodness for the ATM! The noun institution also refers to a long held custom or practice in society. Even if your parents divorced when you were young, you might strongly believe in the institution of marriage. Or you might believe that once you enter the institution of marriage, your next stop will probably be a mental institution. Institution can also describe the act of putting something in place. The institution of new traffic rules — green means stop and red means go — caused a bit of confusion.
Vocabulary lists containing institution
Excerpts from "To Kill a Mockingbird"
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"Democracy in America, Vol. 1" by Alexis de Tocqueville, Introduction–Chapter 5
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Lincoln Inaugural Address (March 1861)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The incident, as alleged in a graphic lawsuit filed last month, has drawn accusations that the Ivy League institution in New York state failed to properly punish the men involved.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
Loretta Mester, who as Cleveland Fed president from 2014 to 2024 called for the institution to explain how it reacts to economic developments, said the episode showed the limits of leaving markets to guess.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
"It protects the institution and then exposes the whistleblower to extreme retaliation and devastation to their lives and families," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Every law-enforcement and justice institution serving the Cornell and Ithaca communities should ask whether its personnel are adequately trained in gender-responsive and trauma-informed approaches.
From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026
“My lawyer disagrees. If the money is in your name, it can’t be held hostage by a financial institution or anyone else, including Laura Friendly. We’re going to the bank now.”
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
"Alberta's economy is unique. is fundamentally different than the rest of Canada's - we have the people, the institutions, the infrastructure to excel," he says.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Sheinbaum’s administration took over the three financial institutions last year to prevent a run on deposits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
You need large numbers to win wars, which inherently means that armies can’t be elitist institutions.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
Africa will launch its own credit rating agency on Wednesday, aimed at countering what many see as unfair assessments by global institutions that make it more expensive for African nations to borrow money.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The pervasive emptiness and stultifying summer heat were only minor deterrents when compared with the more elemental consideration that all the banking and commercial institutions were based elsewhere, chiefly in Philadelphia and New York.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
