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

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

Plenty of established but underperforming head coaches at power conference schools will be available for hire this winter. —Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025

While most people in established unions may grow closer, like moving in, making long-term promises, getting engaged or married or even in a business sense, like signing a contract, others that are not in alignment may go their separate ways. —Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 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