establish

American  

[ih-stab-lish] / ɪˈstæb lɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

• establishes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• established,
  past participle,  past
• establishing
  present participle

1. to found, institute, build, or bring into being on a firm or stable basis.

   to establish a university; to establish a medical practice.

   Synonyms:

   organize, form

   Antonyms:

   abolish

2. to install or settle in a position, place, business, etc..

   to establish one's child in business.

3. to show to be valid or true; prove.

   to establish the facts of the matter.

   Synonyms:

   substantiate, verify

   Antonyms:

   disprove

4. to cause to be accepted or recognized.

   to establish a custom; She established herself as a leading surgeon.

5. to bring about permanently.

   to establish order.

6. to enact, appoint, or ordain for permanence, as a law; fix unalterably.

   Synonyms:

   decree

7. to make (a church) a national or state institution.

8. Cards. to obtain control of (a suit) so that one can win all the subsequent tricks in it.

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establish British  

/ ɪˈstæblɪʃ /

verb

1. to make secure or permanent in a certain place, condition, job, etc

   to establish one's usefulness

   to establish a house

2. to create or set up (an organization, etc) on or as if on a permanent basis

   to establish a company

3. to prove correct or free from doubt; validate

   to establish a fact

4. to cause (a principle, theory, etc) to be widely or permanently accepted

   to establish a precedent

5. to give (a Church) the status of a national institution

6. (of a person) to become recognized and accepted

   he established himself as a reliable GP

7. (in works of imagination) to cause (a character, place, etc) to be credible and recognized

   the first scene established the period

8. cards to make winners of (the remaining cards of a suit) by forcing out opponents' top cards

9. (also intr) botany

   1. to cause (a plant) to grow or (of a plant) to grow in a new place

      the birch scrub has established over the past 25 years

   2. to become or cause to become a sapling or adult plant from a seedling

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Synonym Usage

See fix.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• establisher
  noun
• reestablish
  verb (used with object)
• superestablish
  verb (used with object)
• establishable
  adjective
• unestablishable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• establishing
  present
• established
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• establish
  simple
• establishes
  simple
• have established
  perfect
• has established
  perfect
• am establishing
  progressive
• are establishing
  progressive
• is establishing
  progressive
• have been establishing
  perfect progressive
• has been establishing
  perfect progressive

Past

• established
  simple
• had established
  perfect
• was establishing
  progressive
• were establishing
  progressive
• had been establishing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will establish
  simple
• will have established
  perfect
• will be establishing
  progressive
• will have been establishing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of establish

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English establissen, establishen, from Middle French establiss-, extended stem of establir, from Latin stabilīre, derivative of stabilis stable ²

Explanation

To establish something means to begin it or bring it about. If you want everyone in your family to bring you chocolate every evening, you can establish a “Chocolates for Me” policy requiring it. Establish is related to stable through its Latin roots and has many meanings, but all have the feel of building on a stable foundation. Besides the meaning of setting a policy, establish can also mean to prove one's value. You should establish yourself in a community before you try to bring change to it. Similarly, if you like to debate controversial issues, you'd best begin with facts that have been established and are not open to question. If you have a lot of money and want to build up your community, you can establish, or found, a school or library there.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

establish establishes established establishing

The environmentalists demanded the park service establish a new management plan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Fellow Author Dr Phil Bierwirth, a retired environmental geoscientist affiliated with the ANU Emeritus Faculty, emphasized that the study does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

India, Asia's third-largest economy, must "establish itself as a trusted global supply chain partner for the world", Modi said of manufacturing.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

The proclamation also authorizes the commerce secretary to establish an onshoring program for companies making new investments in manufacturing drones and drone components, in line with the administration’s push to bolster national defense industries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

These same principles led astronomers to take a new interest in measuring distances in order to establish exactly where certain objects—new stars—were in the heavens.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

None of that establishes that political access changed the government’s response.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

“This year, investors have been more sensitive to Shopify’s cost management and margin dilution, and we believe today’s print largely abates those concerns, and establishes an upward trajectory for FCF margins going forward,” Shao wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

"It establishes that our approach to wildfire management will not change if the government changes, and that is really important."

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

"This study establishes an important boundary for Alzheimer's disease genetics," said Matt Huentelman, PhD, professor and director in TGen's Early Detection and Prevention Division and co-senior author with Rogalski.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026

The tiled floor establishes a spatial framework, although this is not maintained in the bodies of Mary and the angel or in the architecture.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

We could lean on Congress and say: “Once upon a time in 1966, Congress established the statutory protection for handling gifts.”

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Cognitive ability was measured as many as four times with the Mini-Mental State Examination, an established 11-question screening test that evaluates memory, attention and thinking skills.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

Since 1962, when the seashore was established, there have been grumblings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

A public-records request yielded clearer evidence: hundreds of pages of land studies and applications filed by an LLC established for “Project Crisham.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

There was rhythm that could be established with top-button clocks, and Fischer had become a connoisseur of that kind of clock.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

He later declined to seek a third presidential term, establishing the two-term tradition eventually written into the Constitution.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

The legislation establishing a right to assisted dying for some adults suffering from an incurable condition was passed by parliament in July after years of debate.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

“By establishing the CalEPA Youth Council, we are ensuring that young people can engage directly in climate action, serve California’s communities, and have a say in the future of our environment,” Newsom said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The internal discussions about establishing an oversight committee for news have come up as the company has planned for the deal’s closing, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

In the sports car, as they drove through the salt marshes that led back to the coast, Mrs. Levy, pulling her blowing fur up closer around her neck said, “I’m establishing a foundation.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

• authorize
• base
• build
• create
• enact
• form
• found
• inaugurate
• install
• institute
• provide
• put
• settle
• start