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

But there is more than just familiarity and an established community. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025

At right-back, there is still no established first-choice, but Matheus Nunes is quicker and has more ability to join the attack than Rico Lewis, which was the direction the team were moving in towards the end of last season. —James McNicholas, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025

That should enable the chain to reach enough critical mass for coordinated advertising to compete with more established fast-food restaurants for market share. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025

The former Lionsgate distribution head will oversee theatrical for the new expansion of Black Bear’s distribution infrastructure, which builds on the leadership of its established theatrical businesses in the UK, Ireland and Canada. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 Aug. 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