institutional

adjective

in·​sti·​tu·​tion·​al ˌin(t)-stə-ˈt(y)ü-sh(ə-)nəl 

1

: of or relating to an institution

institutional knowledge

2

: characteristic of or appropriate to institutions

bland institutional cooking

institutional green walls

institutionally adverb

Examples of institutional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

He's remained in the area, working for the university as the director of institutional advancement for the health science center and, most recently, as the university foundation's director of development for the College of Nursing and the School of Public Health. —Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026

With BitGo custody secured, major exchanges and institutional asset managers can now onboard XDC with the same custody standards required for traditional financial assets. —Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026

With Americans facing a housing affordability crunch, lawmakers from both parties are advancing rival bills aimed at curbing institutional investors' purchases of single-family homes. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026

In 2025, Africa had 10 elections, with Cameroon, Tanzania, and Côte d’Ivoire erupting into political violence — the institutional ballast that once steadied US engagement is lighter. —Alexanderia Baker-Haidara, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing institutional

• anti-institutional
• institutional racism
• inter-institutional
• multi-institutional

Rhymes for institutional

• attributional
• constitutional
• convolutional
• distributional
• involutional
• substitutional
• interinstitutional
• noninstitutional
• unconstitutional