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
That’s a gentle way of saying that those institutions must be prepared, at times, to coerce.
—Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Power increasingly concentrated outside formal institutions Vahidi’s rise comes at a moment when Iran’s formal political institutions appear weaker than ever.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
To date, nearly 400 businesses and institutions, from retailers, universities, hotels and healthcare facilities to apartment property managers, now partner with the program, ensuring that even large volumes of mattresses are kept out of landfills.
—Dan McGowan, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
The site could serve as an operational campus for another institution or be evaluated for other uses, including residential, senior housing, medical, recreational or mixed-use redevelopment, according to CBRE.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for institution
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show current usage.
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Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Power increasingly concentrated outside formal institutions Vahidi’s rise comes at a moment when Iran’s formal political institutions appear weaker than ever.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
To date, nearly 400 businesses and institutions, from retailers, universities, hotels and healthcare facilities to apartment property managers, now partner with the program, ensuring that even large volumes of mattresses are kept out of landfills.
—Dan McGowan, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
The site could serve as an operational campus for another institution or be evaluated for other uses, including residential, senior housing, medical, recreational or mixed-use redevelopment, according to CBRE.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for institution
Cite this Entry
“Institution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/institution. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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
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