establishment

noun es·tab·lish·ment \ i-ˈsta-blish-mənt \

Updated on: 25 May 2018

Definition of establishment

1 : something established: such as

a : a settled arrangement; especially : a code of laws

b : established church

c : a permanent civil or military organization

d : a place of business or residence with its furnishings and staff

e : a public or private institution

2 : an established order of society: such as

a often capitalized : a group of social, economic, and political leaders who form a ruling class (as of a nation)

b often capitalized : a controlling group

the literary establishment

3 a : the act of establishing

b : the state of being established

See establishment defined for English-language learners

See establishment defined for kids

Examples of establishment in a Sentence

the establishment of a business
the establishment of a scientific fact
His novels were disliked by the literary establishment.

Recent Examples of establishment from the Web

In place of the old boys’ club, hero worship, and hewing to the establishment, architecture needs more women, more people of color, more people who are non-binary, more people who are LGBTQI, and more people who have disabilities.

— diana budds, Curbed, "How architecture can rebuild itself post #MeToo," 21 May 2018
Rock’s current establishment is more conscious than any other of music’s underrecognized forebears — namely of unsung blues and R&B artists.

— New York Times, "12 Pop, Rock and Jazz Concerts to Check Out in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 17 May 2018
But the state’s Democratic establishment is lining up behind A.J. Balukoff, a 72-year-old Idaho businessman who ran for governor in 2014.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Today’s Primary Preview: 3 Quiet States and Some Noise From Pennsylvania," 15 May 2018
But the state’s Democratic establishment is lining up behind A.J. Balukoff, a 72-year-old Idaho businessman who ran for governor in 2014.

— andrew prokop, Vox, "Primary election results: Pennsylvania, Idaho, Nebraska, Oregon," 15 May 2018
Politics matter to Trent, though the divide between him and the party establishment is far bigger than just the right strategy for taking back the House.

— ken stern, The Hive, "“There Will Be a Backlash”: Will the Bernie Democrats Risk the House?," 14 May 2018
The most longstanding establishment is Yoder’s Restaurant and Amish Village, established in 1975.

— vincent crampton, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Explore Florida's Sarasota County: Say bye bye, Ohio for pie pie, Pinecraft," 6 May 2018
As such, the establishment of the new fund is likely to further fuel U.S. cries of unfair play, said William Reinsch, a former trade official now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

— yoko kubota, WSJ, "China Plans $47 Billion Fund to Boost Its Semiconductor Industry," 4 May 2018
Not a bar Drilling stressed that the establishment is not a bar.

— hannah kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Drilling's Panther Pub & Eatery: It's all about Greendale, and the fresh food," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'establishment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.