establish

verb

es·​tab·​lish i-ˈsta-blish 

established; establishing; establishes

transitive verb

1

: to institute (something, such as a law) permanently by enactment or agreement

2

obsolete : settle sense 7

3

a

: to make firm or stable

b

: to introduce and cause to grow and multiply

establish grass on pasturelands

4

a

: to bring into existence : found

established a republic

b

: bring about, effect

established friendly relations

5

a

: to put on a firm basis : set up

establish his son in business

b

: to put into a favorable position

c

: to gain full recognition or acceptance of

the role established her as a star

6

: to make (a church) a national or state institution

7

: to put beyond doubt : prove

established my innocence

establishable

i-ˈsta-bli-shə-bəl 

adjective

establisher

i-ˈsta-bli-shər 

noun

Synonyms

• demonstrate
• prove
• show
• substantiate

Examples of establish in a Sentence

The film established her as a star.

She established a reputation as a hard worker.

The word is now established as part of the English language.

The company has established itself as a leader in the industry.

As a young doctor he worked hard to establish himself in the community.

They want to establish their children in the family business.

She established a system of tracking expenses more accurately.

The two countries established a mutual trade agreement.

establishing a link between diet and cancer

Investigators are trying to establish if anyone knew about these problems before the accident.

Recent Examples on the Web

Reuters was not immediately able to establish his identity. —USA Today, 1 May 2025

To do that, Intel has to establish more trust in the industry and not only prove the competitiveness of its processes, but also that partners can make the chips with familiar and established workflows, consistently and with high reliability. —Marco Chiappetta, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

The underpinnings of a global order can be traced to the age of discovery, when Europeans first learned to circumnavigate the globe, then established a presence at vast distances, and followed that with empires. —Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025

While Alonso and Vettel immediately established themselves as the ‘number one’ at Ferrari, expecting the same from Hamilton was always unlikely. —Luke Smith, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English establissen, from Anglo-French establiss-, stem of establir, from Latin stabilire, from stabilis stable

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing establish

• pre-establish
• re-establish

Rhymes for establish

• reestablish

Kids Definition

establish

verb

es·​tab·​lish is-ˈtab-lish 

1

: to make a permanent part of a nation's laws

establish a constitution

2

: to make firm or stable

establish a statue on its base

3

a

: to bring into existence : found

establish a republic

establish a school

b

: to cause to exist

establish good relations

establish radio contact

4

: to set on a firm basis

establish their children in business

5

: to gain full recognition or acceptance of

establish a claim

a film that established her as a star

established his innocence

6

: prove

7

: find out sense 1

establish the cause of the fire

establisher noun

Legal Definition

establish

transitive verb

es·​tab·​lish

1

: to institute (as a law) permanently by enactment or agreement

we the people of the United States…do ordain and establish this Constitution

—U.S. Constitution preamble

2

: to make firm or stable

3

: to bring into existence : found

Congress shall have power…to establish post offices and post roads

—U.S. Constitution art. I

specifically : to found (a national bank) pursuant to a charter

4

: to make (a church) a national or state institution see also establishment, establishment clause

5

: to put beyond doubt : prove

6

: to place in a position of being accepted or followed

a rule established by case law