institutional

American  

[in-sti-too-shuh-nl, -tyoo-] / ˌɪn stɪˈtu ʃə nl, -ˈtyu- /

adjective

1. of or relating to organized establishments, foundations, societies, or the like, or to the buildings they occupy.

   The association offers an institutional membership discount to members of affiliated groups.

2. of the nature of an established organization or institution.

   institutional bureaucracy.

3. relating to or noting a policy, practice, or belief system that has been established as normative or customary throughout an institution or society, particularly as perpetuated in institutions of a public character, as schools, courts, or legislative bodies: institutional sexism in academia;

   institutional racism in the criminal justice system;

   institutional sexism in academia;

   institutional prejudice against members of the gay community.

4. characterized by the blandness, drabness, uniformity, and lack of individualized attention attributed to large institutions that serve many people.

   institutional food.

5. (of advertising) having as the primary object the establishment of goodwill and a favorable reputation rather than the immediate sale of the product.

6. relating to established principles or institutes, especially of jurisprudence.

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institutional British  

/ ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃənəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of institutions

2. dull, routine, and uniform

   institutional meals

3. relating to principles or institutes, esp of law

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Other Word Forms

• anti-institutional adjective
• anti-institutionally adverb
• institutionally adverb
• interinstitutional adjective
• interinstitutionally adverb
• noninstitutional adjective
• noninstitutionally adverb
• uninstitutional adjective
• uninstitutionally adverb

Etymology

Origin of institutional

First recorded in 1610–20; institution + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Foreign institutional investors have net sold $6 billion of South Korean stock for the year to date, while retail investors were net sellers last year and “only recently turned net buyers,” he said.

From MarketWatch

Still, the episode illustrates how rumors and reputational associations can drive real-world decisions by parents and school officials in an era of heightened concern about data security and institutional trust.

From Salon

"Today's match was very tough both because of the opponent and because of our own institutional and sporting situation."

From Barron's

They are turning to the secondary market where institutional investors can sell private-equity stakes to other investors before maturity, usually for less than what the manager says they are worth.

From The Wall Street Journal

Students treat institutional rituals as a farce and openly mock their principal - calling him Yamdoot after the Hindu god of death - a blustering figure who addresses them as "My dear donkey".

From BBC