institutionalize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make institutional.
-
to make into or treat as an institution.
the danger of institutionalizing racism.
-
to place or confine in an institution, especially one for the care of mental illness, alcoholism, etc.
verb
-
(tr; often passive) to subject to the deleterious effects of confinement in an institution
a mental patient who was institutionalized into boredom and apathy
-
(tr) to place in an institution
-
to make or become an institution
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of institutionalize
First recorded in 1860–65; institutional + -ize
Explanation
To institutionalize someone is to send them to a place where they can be taken care of. Institutionalize also means that something is part of the system. If men are paid more than women, then gender bias has been institutionalized. The verb institutionalize is usually used to talk about committing people to hospitals, nursing homes, or other facilities where they will live and be taken care of in some way. There's another meaning of the word that means "to establish as a regular way of doing things." In this case, a teacher might institutionalize the tradition of ordering pizza for the class once a month; in other words, pizza parties would become a permanent, official part of the school year.
Vocabulary lists containing institutionalize
The Battle of the Labyrinth
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Words with 15 or More Letters, List 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ronald Reagan's Address at Moscow State University (1988)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
However, the tolling system would institutionalize rather than solve the friction.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
“Too many approaches to peace-building foster perpetual dependency, and institutionalize crisis rather than leading people beyond it,” the charter’s preamble says, calling for “a coalition of willing States committed to practical cooperation and effective action.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026
Yet California universities — among the best and most elite in the discipline — have struggled to institutionalize disability scholarship and to hire disabled faculty to teach it.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2023
"The task is to solidify and institutionalize it," Feldman said.
From Reuters • Oct. 30, 2023
These hospitals are no longer mentioned after the dissolution of the London Company, nor were any other comparable measures taken during the century to institutionalize care for the sick.
From Medicine in Virginia, 1607-1699 by Hughes, Thomas Proctor
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.
