establish

verb es·tab·lish \ i-ˈsta-blish \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Examples: establish in a Sentence

Definition of establish

established; establishing; establishes

transitive verb

1 : to institute (something, such as a law) permanently by enactment or agreement

2 obsolete : settle 7

3 a : to make firm or stable

b : to introduce and cause to grow and multiply

establish grass on pasturelands

4 a : to bring into existence : found

established a republic

b : bring about, effect

established friendly relations

5 a : to put on a firm basis : set up

establish his son in business

b : to put into a favorable position

c : to gain full recognition or acceptance of

the role established her as a star

6 : to make (a church) a national or state institution

7 : to put beyond doubt : prove

established my innocence

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establishable

play \i-ˈsta-bli-shə-bəl\ adjective

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establisher

play \i-ˈsta-bli-shər\ noun

See establish defined for English-language learners

See establish defined for kids

Examples of establish in a Sentence

The film established her as a star.
She established a reputation as a hard worker.
The word is now established as part of the English language.
The company has established itself as a leader in the industry.
As a young doctor he worked hard to establish himself in the community.
They want to establish their children in the family business.
She established a system of tracking expenses more accurately.
The two countries established a mutual trade agreement.
establishing a link between diet and cancer
Investigators are trying to establish if anyone knew about these problems before the accident.

Recent Examples of establish from the Web

But the justices stopped short of establishing an outright protection for expectant mothers.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Pregnancy discrimination is rampant inside America’s biggest companies," 16 June 2018
Justify broke clean and went to the lead, moving quick over the first quarter before establishing a rhythm and slowing the pace.

— fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "Mike Smith showed value of age, experience in Justify's Triple Crown," 15 June 2018
That means establishing a body of evidence that shows this interplay.

— adam popescu, National Geographic, "These Fish Keep Forests Alive—And Fishing Threatens Them," 12 June 2018
One of the ways Rotterdam is encouraging gentrification is by establishing nine bakfietswijken—or cargo-bike neighborhoods.

— olga mecking, The Atlantic, "‘Cargo-Bike Moms’ Are Gentrifying the Netherlands," 11 June 2018
Approximately 800 troops from the Somali and Kenyan forces, assisted by U.S. soldiers, were conducting a multi-day operation to root out al Shabaab militants and establish a permanent combat outpost.

— CBS News, "U.S. soldier killed in attack by al Qaeda affiliate in Somalia," 8 June 2018
About a year into the job, roles’ responsibilities became more clearly established and additional positions were created.

— lindsey lanquist, SELF, "6 Women Share Their Real-Life Salary Negotiation Experiences," 8 June 2018
How many academies would be established has not been determined, administrators said Monday.

— rafael guerrero, Elgin Courier-News, "Board members question U46 career academies and pathways proposal," 5 June 2018
That meeting is said to be a crucial part of the Mueller investigation, which is looking into whether the Russians were trying to establish a secret backchannel with the administration.

— tina nguyen, The Hive, "Robert Mueller Puts the Squeeze on Jared Kushner’s B.F.F.," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'establish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of establish

Middle English establissen, from Anglo-French establiss-, stem of establir, from Latin stabilire, from stabilis stable

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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establish Synonyms

ESTABLISH Defined for English Language Learners

establish

verb

Definition of establish for English Language Learners

: to cause (someone or something) to be widely known and accepted
: to put (someone or something) in a position, role, etc., that will last for a long time
: to begin or create (something that is meant to last for a long time)