institution

1 a public organization with a particular purpose or function a charitable institution devoted to raising funds to feed the hungry Synonyms establishment, foundation, institute Related Words body, collective, group; corporation, enterprise; charity, philanthropy; think tank

2 a person who has long been associated with a place or activity an actor who has been a Broadway institution for decades Synonyms fixture Related Words first lady, grand old man; icon (also ikon), symbol; dean, elder statesman

3 a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest an institution devoted to studying social problems and proposing solutions for them Synonyms board, brotherhood, chamber, club, college, congress, consortium, council, fellowship, fraternity, guild (also gild), institute, association, league, order, organization, society, sodalityRelated Words collective, commune, community, cooperative; alliance, bloc, camp, coalition, partnership; body, cadre, group; circle, clan, clique, coterie, junta, junto, klatch (also klatsch), lot, set; crew, outfit, party, squad, team; branch, chapter, local; faithful, fold, membership; sisterhood, sorority; cabal, camarilla, camorra, confederacy, conspiracy; band, gang, ring; cartel, combine, syndicate

4 a place where insane people are cared for their father was committed to an institution after his mental health began to rapidly deteriorate Synonyms asylum, bedlam, madhouseRelated Words hospital; halfway house, home; hospice, sanatorium, sanitarium, sanitorium