establishes; established; establishing
1
a
: to cause (someone or something) to be widely known and accepted
establish a claim
The film established her as a star.
She established a reputation as a hard worker.
The word is now established as part of the English language.
The company has established itself as a leader in the industry.
b
: to put (someone or something) in a position, role, etc., that will last for a long time
As a young doctor he worked hard to establish himself in the community.
They want to establish their children in the family business.
2
a
: to begin or create (something that is meant to last for a long time)
establish [=found] a school
The city was established [=founded] in the 18th century.
b
: to succeed in making or creating (something)
He was never able to establish [=build, forge] a close relationship with his son.
She established a system of tracking expenses more accurately.
We need to establish [=set] more realistic goals for ourselves.
The two countries established a mutual trade agreement.
3
a
: to make the truth or existence of (something) clear or certain : to show that (something) is true or real
He was unable to establish [=prove] his innocence.
Research has established [=demonstrated, shown] that he played an important role in the negotiations.
establishing a link between diet and cancer
b
: to find out (something)
Investigators are trying to establish if/whether anyone knew about these problems before the accident.
I was unable to establish why these changes were made.
Cite this Entry
“Establish.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/establish. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
