Jump To:

• establishment
  establishment

  noun

  the act or an instance of establishing.
• Establishment
  Establishment

  noun

  a group or class of people having institutional authority within a society, esp those who control the civil service, the government, the armed forces, and the Church: usually identified with a conservative outlook

establishment

American  

[ih-stab-lish-muhnt] / ɪˈstæb lɪʃ mənt /

noun

• establishments
  plural

1. the act or an instance of establishing.

2. the state or fact of being established.

3. something established; a constituted order or system.

4. Often the Establishment

   1. the existing power structure in society; the dominant groups in society and their customs or institutions; institutional authority.

      The Establishment believes exploring outer space is worth any tax money spent.

   2. the dominant group in a field of endeavor, organization, etc..

      the literary Establishment.

5. a household; place of residence including its furnishings, grounds, etc.

6. a place of business together with its employees, merchandise, equipment, etc.

7. a permanent civil, military, or other force or organization.

8. an institution, as a school, hospital, etc.

9. the recognition by a state of a church as the state church.

10. the church so recognized, especially the Church of England.

11. Archaic. a fixed or settled income.

---

establishment ¹ British  

/ ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt /

noun

1. the act of establishing or state of being established

2. 1. a business organization or other large institution

   2. the place where a business is carried on

3. the staff and equipment of a commercial or other organization

4. the approved size, composition, and equipment of a military unit, government department, business division, etc, as formally promulgated

5. any large organization, institution, or system

6. a household or place of residence

7. a body of employees or servants

8. (modifier) belonging to or characteristic of the Establishment; orthodox or conservative

   the establishment view of history

---

Establishment ² British  

/ ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt /

noun

1. a group or class of people having institutional authority within a society, esp those who control the civil service, the government, the armed forces, and the Church: usually identified with a conservative outlook

---

Usage

What does establishment mean? Establishment commonly refers to the official start or founding of something, such as a law, business, or other organization, as in It has been 200 years since the establishment of this great nation. It is the noun form of the verb establish, which has many meanings but most commonly means to found, institute, or bring into being. Things that have been established are called establishments, especially businesses, as in I try to buy from local establishments whenever possible. Establishment is also used more specifically to refer collectively to the existing power structure in a society and its dominant institutions, as in That kind of radical thinking is frowned upon by the establishment. This use is often negative. It can also be used in a similar way to refer to the dominant group in a particular field, as in the medical establishment. In both of these cases, Establishment is often capitalized.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonestablishment
  noun
• reestablishment
  noun
• superestablishment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• establishments
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of establishment

First recorded in 1475–85, and in 1920–25 establishment for def. 4a; establish + -ment

---

Explanation

Kids were more comfortable in school after the establishment of a no-tolerance bullying policy in the cafeteria. Establishment means setting up or something that has been set up. In the 1960s, the youth movement took on what they called "the establishment," by which they meant the way society was set up and organized. Their sentiments could be summed up in a word that is rumored to be one of the longest in the English language, if it actually exists: disestablishmentarianism.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

establishment Establishment establishments

How can such a premier establishment as the Academy claim to revere filmmaking if they’re unwilling to prop up all forms of the art?

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026

That collaboration helped support the establishment of the International Day of the Mediterranean Diet through the United Nations.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026

Christina Cauterucci digs into the intertwined history of organized crime and fruit, including the establishment of the Sicilian Mafia in response to a lemon farming boom.

From Slate ● Oct. 24, 2026

The UK government also announced the establishment of an energy wealth fund, with an initial £2bn of funding, to invest in renewable and low carbon energy projects.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Of course he’d prefer that he had Tersteeg on his side—he is a member of the art establishment who could help him, who could sell his work eventually.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Establishment of a new basing network in western Saudi Arabia wouldn’t have solved all problems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

Wills, who is himself a Catholic, called the separation of church and state embodied in the First Amendment’s Establishment clause “a stunning innovation,” the one unique, genius thing about our nation’s founding document.

From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026

It represents what might be called an Establishment Modernism, befitting a confident institution secure in its sense of self.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2025

The first amendment to the US Constitution - known as the Establishment Clause - says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2024

Mother’s being a midwife would subvert the Medical Establishment, but in order to be a midwife she needed a phone.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

We have traditionally regulated marketplaces at the federal level and retail establishments at the state level.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

In the world's most populous country, the need for high-end hospitality workers is immense, fuelled by economic growth and the rise of a middle class that travels more and increasingly eats at plush establishments.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

You will likely encounter it only as a rumor from the deepest bowels of the world’s top intelligence establishments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The change means businesses will no longer be required to let people use physical ID, but the government contends most establishments would.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

She strolled down the line of establishments, never failing to linger by the big glass windows.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• formation
• formulation
• founding
• inauguration
• installation
• institution

---