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

The obstacle for established organizations attempting the same transition is rarely the technology. — Charles Towers-Clark, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Could the auction enthusiasm for historic and ultra-established art be spreading over to other categories? — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 17 June 2026

This new rendition stars Hugh Jackman, who is no stranger to roughening up an established protagonist. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026

The company brings established expertise in laser manufacturing, photonics engineering, and systems integration, positioning it as a key contributor to the development of the DEEP LIGHT platform. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 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