established

adjective

es·​tab·​lished i-ˈsta-blisht 

1

: accepted and recognized or followed by many people

established rules/customs/traditions

2

a

: successful for a long period of time and widely known

an established author/artist

an established law firm

… people with Ph.D.s have been credentialed by established experts in their fields

—Louis Menand

b

: growing or flourishing successfully

an established plant

an established flower garden

3

of a church or religion : officially recognized and accepted by the government of a country

Some of the religious groups lasted, but at a price. Their dogma hardened, and they developed organizational structures that are mirror images of established churches.

—O. B. Hardison, Jr.

Examples of established in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The company brings established expertise in laser manufacturing, photonics engineering, and systems integration, positioning it as a key contributor to the development of the DEEP LIGHT platform. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026

This came into play for a customer that was an established brand branching into denim for the first time. —Sj Studio, Footwear News, 12 June 2026

Thankfully, government forces re-established control swiftly, and peace has been restored. —Jonathan Thompson, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026

Throughout the country, especially in the Jim Crow South, degrading Black life, snuffing it out, was an established pastime. —Wesley Morris, New York Times, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing established

• established church
• established order
• pre-established

Rhymes for established

• disestablished
• preestablished
• reestablished
• stablished