institution
noun
in·sti·tu·tion
ˌin(t)-stə-ˈtü-shən 
-ˈtyü-
1
a
: an established organization or corporation (such as a bank or university) especially of a public character
financial institutions
b
: a facility or establishment in which people (such as the sick or needy) live and receive care typically in a confined setting and often without individual consent
… the testator disinherited her siblings over their efforts to have her committed to a mental institution in the wake of several suicide attempts.—
William M. McGovern, Jr.
William M. McGovern, Jr.
c
: a significant practice, relationship, or organization in a society or culture
the institution of marriage
also
: something or someone firmly associated with a place or thing
she has become an institution in the theater
2
: an act of instituting : establishment
Examples of institution in a Sentence
banks and other financial institutions
an institution of higher learning
Family visits are a Thanksgiving institution.
She's not interested in the institution of marriage.
The play has become something of an institution on Broadway.
the institution of new rules and regulations
Recent Examples on the Web
Driving collaboration for commercial rollout The researchers also emphasise the need for collaboration across academia, industry, and research institutions.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2025
Institutional integration On top of building out its own services, Ripple also aims to sign deals to lend its XRP Ledger technology to larger institutions' crypto pushes, according to Garlinghouse.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
And both institutions, like every other museum with any relationship to the federal government, have been in the stranglehold of imperious demands from the White House; do-as-we-say pressure from state governments is becoming increasingly common, too.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
This film specifically shows different institutions of liberal democracy, such as politics, media, and police.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for institution
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2025
Institutional integration On top of building out its own services, Ripple also aims to sign deals to lend its XRP Ledger technology to larger institutions' crypto pushes, according to Garlinghouse.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
And both institutions, like every other museum with any relationship to the federal government, have been in the stranglehold of imperious demands from the White House; do-as-we-say pressure from state governments is becoming increasingly common, too.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
This film specifically shows different institutions of liberal democracy, such as politics, media, and police.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for institution
Cite this Entry
“Institution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/institution. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
institution
noun
in·sti·tu·tion
ˌin(t)-stə-ˈt(y)ü-shən
1
: the act of instituting : establishment
2
: an established custom, practice, or law in a society or culture
the institution of marriage
turkey dinner is a Thanksgiving institution
3
a
: an established organization or corporation and especially one of a public nature
educational institutions
a financial institution
b
institutional
adjective
-shnəl,
-shən-ᵊl
institutionally
adverb
-ē
Medical Definition
institution
noun
in·sti·tu·tion
ˌin(t)-stə-ˈt(y)ü-shən
: a facility or establishment in which people (such as the sick or needy) live and receive care typically in a confined setting and often without individual consent
a mental institution
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share