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

Each of that clutch of 20th Century and contemporary art collections would be the pride of many an established museum, and their shine put the glow on Miami’s art-world rep, a critical catalyst in the city’s newfound status as a magnet for international wealth and finance. —Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025

Get an established lawn ready for dormant seeding by using a core aerator. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025

By 2017, Taylor Jenkins Reid was an established author, with five books under her belt, including the bestseller The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. —Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025

Unable to attract established screenwriters, Lee developed the storylines himself. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025

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