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

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of institutional

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

Explanation

Something institutional is what you'd expect from a big entity like a college or corporation, such as the institutional cinder-block dorm room walls or the institutional policy of giving employees 10 sick days per year. Accent the third syllable in institutional: "in-stih-TOO-shun-ul." The word institutional can be used to describe something related to an organization or a corporation, like institutional reform or institutional policies. Something that's institutional is often thought of as bland or boring, like the institutional food served to hospital patients. Institutional things often share, for better or worse, a certain sameness.

Example Sentences

“I feel like I’m definitely running against major institutional forces, but that’s how it is,” state Sen. Scott Wiener told me recently.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

For one, institutional investors might stay away because the same feature that make them attractive to small investors—a lack of an expiration date—also makes them less useful for hedging and makes perps’ carrying costs uncertain.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

This combination indicates overwhelming market demand and confirms that large institutional funds are actively driving the share price higher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

The reduction in categories comes amid broader national debates over identity classification, institutional representation, and how government systems reflect demographic complexity.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

Is there anyplace as comforting as an old, institutional, prewar bathroom?

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides