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

Private credit and private-equity funds have recently lost some of their appeal to their traditional base of institutional and wealthy investors.

From Barron's

The U.A.E.’s integration with Israeli systems under the United States Central Command isn’t the product of crisis improvisation; it’s the fruit of years of patient institutional work.

From The Wall Street Journal

Previously, only institutional investors and ultra-high-net-worth investors could invest in these areas.

From MarketWatch

And nearly every attempt to innovate in retirement plans has been challenged in court with false claims of institutional gambling.

From The Wall Street Journal

What’s more, retail investors now appear to be joining institutional players on the sidelines, he said, pointing to weekly fund flows.

From MarketWatch