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

Banks, subject to more established and rigorous scrutiny, warn the bill doesn’t do enough to protect consumers and also raises questions over where capital will be stored and and guaranteed if crypto exchanges like Coinbase are able to take deposits the way banks do. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 June 2026

Even a small change to a pre-established part of your schedule — like having breakfast outside instead of at the table — can break couples out of flying on autopilot. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

In some instances, mounds that were removed or holes that were filled were later re-established, volunteers say. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026

Researchers also suspect a second, less established pathway. —Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 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