establishment

noun

es·​tab·​lish·​ment i-ˈsta-blish-mənt 

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

b

often Establishment : a controlling group

the literary establishment

3

a

: the act of establishing

b

: the state of being established

Synonyms of establishment

• place
• facility

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 on the Web

What else to look for in Tuesday’s report Beyond the headline payroll numbers and the November unemployment rate, the innards of last month’s establishment and household surveys could provide an even more critical look at how the backbone of the US economy is faring, economists say. —Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025

Jin Liqun was born in 1949, just a few months before the official establishment of the People’s Republic of China. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025

Vladimir Padrino López Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuela’s long-serving defense minister, is portrayed by La Nación as the backbone of the military establishment and the guarantor of Maduro’s survival. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025

There’s the time the pair got ass drunk off hooch in the deep South at the kind of Geechie establishment that plays ZZ Hill, Johnny Taylor, and Clarence Carter records. —Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Phrases Containing establishment

• non-establishment
• re-establishment
• the establishment

Rhymes for establishment

• disestablishment
• reestablishment

Kids Definition

establishment

noun

es·​tab·​lish·​ment is-ˈtab-lish-mənt 

1

: the act of establishing : the state or fact of being established

establishment of a church

establishment of a scientific fact

2

: a place for residence or business

a dry-cleaning establishment

3

: an established order of society

also, often capitalized : the social, economic, and political leaders of such an order

rebelling against the establishment

Legal Definition

establishment

noun

es·​tab·​lish·​ment

1

: something established: as

a

: a church recognized by law as the official church of a nation or state and supported by civil authority

b

: a permanent civil or military organization

c

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

2

a

: an act of establishing

b

: the state of being established