- the act of instituting
- an organization or establishment founded for a specific purpose, such as a hospital, church, company, or college
- the building where such an organization is situated
- an established custom, law, or relationship in a society or community
- Also called: institutional investor a large organization, such as an insurance company, bank, or pension fund, that has substantial sums to invest on a stock exchange
- informal a constant feature or practice: our monthly gathering was an institution
- the appointment or admission of an incumbent to an ecclesiastical office or pastoral charge
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
in•sti•tu•tion /ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃən, -ˈtyu-/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- an organization devoted to the promotion of a cause, program, etc., esp. one of a public or educational character:[countable]Large institutions have big bureaucracies.
- [countable] the building for such work.
- a place for the care or confinement of people, as mental patients:[countable]a mental institution.
- Sociology an established custom or law accepted as a basic part of a culture:[countable]still has great respect for the institution of marriage.
- any familiar, long-established person, thing, or practice:[countable]The elderly business professor had become an institution in the college.
- the act of instituting:[uncountable]the institution of new organizations.
in•sti•tu•tion
(in′sti to̅o̅′shən, -tyo̅o̅′-),USA pronunciation n.
- an organization, establishment, foundation, society, or the like, devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program, esp. one of a public, educational, or charitable character:This college is the best institution of its kind.
- the building devoted to such work.
- a public or private place for the care or confinement of inmates, esp. mental patients or other disabled or handicapped persons.
- Sociologya well-established and structured pattern of behavior or of relationships that is accepted as a fundamental part of a culture, as marriage:the institution of the family.
- any established law, custom, etc.
- any familiar, long-established person, thing, or practice;
fixture. - the act of instituting or setting up;
establishment:the institution of laws. - Religion[Eccles.]
- the origination of the Eucharist, and enactment of its observance, by Christ.
- the investment of a member of the clergy with a spiritual charge.
- Latin institūtiōn- (stem of institūtiō). See institute, -ion
- Middle English 1350–1400
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
institution /ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən/ n
'institution' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
abscond
- academy
- administrate
- administration
- aftercare
- almoner
- archive
- aspro
- associate
- asylum
- athenaeum
- back office
- bail out
- bank
- bed
- bedlam
- benefactor
- benefit
- bondholder
- borstal
- BS
- BSI
- chapel
- chaplain
- charity
- chartered surveyor
- clearing house
- cloister
- college
- colours
- commoner
- conservatoire
- constitute
- correspondence school
- curator
- dayroom
- denationalize
- deposit
- deschool
- desegregate
- Diplomatic Service
- director
- discharge
- disestablish
- dormitory
- edifice
- endowment
- establish
- Established Church
- establishment