institution

noun

in·sti·tu·tion | \ ˌin(t)-stə-ˈtü-shən

, -ˈtyü-\

Definition of institution

1 : an act of instituting : establishment

2a : 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

b : an established organization or corporation (such as a bank or university) especially of a public character financial institutions

c : 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.

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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

So why erect this cultural institution here and now? — Danielle Naer, Vogue, "The Statue of Liberty Museum Debuts With Oprah, Seth Meyers, and DVF," 16 May 2019 Though still comparatively meager in terms of overall student numbers, between spring 2016 and spring 2017 construction trades marked the largest percentage enrollment increase (26.4 percent) of all programs at four-year institutions. — Chuck Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "The State of American Trade Schools," 13 Mar. 2019 These institutions are accredited by the AOA’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "What Is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, and Should You See One?," 6 Feb. 2019 Financial institutions have a very big stake in this future, obviously, as individuals must be linked to a bank account or credit card (or, at the very least, possess a prepaid debit card) to go cashless. — Town & Country, "Is This the End of Cash?," 28 Jan. 2019 Although most financial institutions and investors are still in the exploratory phase, some early signs of what will happen are emerging. — Jeff Andrews, Curbed, "Opportunity zones: vital community development tool or tax windfall for the rich?," 3 Oct. 2018 The indictment alleges Park attempted financial institution attacks over the past four years, too. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "US indicts North Korean agent for WannaCry, Sony attacks [Updated]," 6 Sep. 2018 When bitcoin’s price spiked last year, many big financial institutions took an interest in the virtual currency as a new kind of investment and have looked to move it away from its unsavory associations. — BostonGlobe.com, "How Russian spies hid behind bitcoin in hacking campaign," 14 July 2018 Feder notes that Chinese companies want to buy Israeli financial institutions. — David Isaac, Jewish Journal, "Israel and China start conversation about mutual ties," 11 July 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near institution

institutional economics

institutionalise

Statistics for institution

Last Updated

20 May 2019

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Time Traveler for institution

The first known use of institution was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for institution

institution

noun

English Language Learners Definition of institution

: an established organization

: a place where an organization takes care of people for a usually long period of time

: a custom, practice, or law that is accepted and used by many people

See the full definition for institution in the English Language Learners Dictionary

institution

noun

in·sti·tu·tion | \ ˌin-stə-ˈtü-shən

, -ˈtyü-\

Kids Definition of institution

1 : the beginning or establishment of something the institution of new rules

2 : an established custom, practice, or law Turkey dinners are a Thanksgiving institution.

3 : an established organization business institutions

institution

noun

in·sti·tu·tion | \ ˌin(t)-stə-ˈt(y)ü-shən

Medical Definition of institution

: 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

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institution

noun

in·sti·tu·tion

Legal Definition of institution

1 : the act of instituting

2 : a significant practice, relationship, or organization in a society or culture the institution of marriage

3 : an established organization or corporation especially of a public character specifically : a facility for the treatment or training of persons with mental deficiencies