anti-institutional
adjective
an·ti-in·sti·tu·tion·al
ˌan-tē-ˌin(t)-stə-ˈt(y)ü-sh(ə-)nəl 
ˌan-tī-
ˌan-tī-
: characterized by or expressing opposition toward institutions
… the anti-institutional protests of the civil rights movement.—
Adam Fairclough
Adam FaircloughExamples of anti-institutional in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But there’s also a risk of setting a precedent that anti-institutional Republicans get to smash things, which pro-institutional Democrats must then clean up.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
His message—brash, conspiratorial, and anti-institutional—continues to resonate with a large segment of the population.
—Veronica Anghel, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2025
Both Netanyahu and Orban are aligned with a broader anti-institutional movement led by U.S. President Donald Trump.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
Increasingly, Levin noted, anti-corporate and anti-institutional subcultures operate across the ideological spectrum.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Unlike his father, who could be reflexively countercultural and anti-institutional, Ras Baraka has been running for office for most of his life.
—Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
Sign up The anti-institutional unschooling ideology is rooted in the doctrine of eighth century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who believed children should be free to explore their own interests.
—Theara Coleman, theweek, 11 July 2024
In the Seventies, the country was in a populist, libertarian mood and receptive to anti-institutional grandstanding.
—Ian MacDougall, Harper's Magazine, 12 Sep. 2022
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David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
His message—brash, conspiratorial, and anti-institutional—continues to resonate with a large segment of the population.
—Veronica Anghel, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2025
Both Netanyahu and Orban are aligned with a broader anti-institutional movement led by U.S. President Donald Trump.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
Increasingly, Levin noted, anti-corporate and anti-institutional subcultures operate across the ideological spectrum.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Unlike his father, who could be reflexively countercultural and anti-institutional, Ras Baraka has been running for office for most of his life.
—Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
Sign up The anti-institutional unschooling ideology is rooted in the doctrine of eighth century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who believed children should be free to explore their own interests.
—Theara Coleman, theweek, 11 July 2024
In the Seventies, the country was in a populist, libertarian mood and receptive to anti-institutional grandstanding.
—Ian MacDougall, Harper's Magazine, 12 Sep. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Anti-institutional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-institutional. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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