institution

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

Related to institution: Social institution

in·sti·tu·tion

(ĭn′stĭ-to͞o′shən, -tyo͞o′-)

1. The act of instituting: the institution of reforms.

a. A custom, practice, relationship, or behavioral pattern of importance in the life of a community or society: the institutions of marriage and the family.

b. Informal One long associated with a specified place, position, or function.

a. An established organization or foundation, especially one dedicated to education, public service, or culture.

b. A building or complex of buildings housing such an organization.

c. A building or complex of buildings housing people who need special services, such as orphans or people with mental disabilities.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

institution

(ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən)

1. the act of instituting

2. an organization or establishment founded for a specific purpose, such as a hospital, church, company, or college

3. the building where such an organization is situated

4. an established custom, law, or relationship in a society or community

5. (Stock Exchange) Also called: institutional investor a large organization, such as an insurance company, bank, or pension fund, that has substantial sums to invest on a stock exchange

6. informal a constant feature or practice: Jones' drink at the bar was an institution.

7. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the appointment or admission of an incumbent to an ecclesiastical office or pastoral charge

8. (Ecclesiastical Terms) Christian theol the creation of a sacrament by Christ, esp the Eucharist

ˌinstiˈtutionary adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

in•sti•tu•tion

(ˌɪn stɪˈtu ʃən, -ˈtyu-)

n.

1. an organization or establishment devoted to the promotion of a cause or program, esp. one of a public, educational, or charitable character.

2. the building devoted to such work.

3. a place for the care or confinement of people, as mental patients.

4. a well-established and structured pattern of behavior or of relationships that is accepted as a fundamental part of a culture: the institution of marriage.

5. any established law, custom, etc.

6. any familiar, long-established person, thing, or practice; fixture.

7. the act of instituting.

a. the establishment by Christ of a sacrament, esp. the Eucharist.

b. the investment of a cleric with a spiritual charge.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin institūtiō]

in`sti•tu′tion•ar′y, adj.

institution

- First a noun of action or process that became a general and abstract noun describing something objective and systematic.

Institution

an established or organized society, usually with its own premises.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	institution - an organization founded and united for a specific purpose establishment organization, organisation - a group of people who work together medical institution - an institution created for the practice of medicine financial institution, financial organisation, financial organization - an institution (public or private) that collects funds (from the public or other institutions) and invests them in financial assets issuer - an institution that issues something (securities or publications or currency etc.) charity - an institution set up to provide help to the needy company - an institution created to conduct business; "he only invests in large well-established companies"; "he started the company in his garage" organized religion, religion, faith - an institution to express belief in a divine power; "he was raised in the Baptist religion"; "a member of his own faith contradicted him" vicariate, vicarship - the religious institution under the authority of a vicar educational institution - an institution dedicated to education honorary society, academy - an institution for the advancement of art or science or literature
	2.	institution - an establishment consisting of a building or complex of buildings where an organization for the promotion of some cause is situated establishment - a public or private structure (business or governmental or educational) including buildings and equipment for business or residence nursing home, rest home, home - an institution where people are cared for; "a home for the elderly" orphans' asylum, orphanage - a public institution for the care of orphans penal facility, penal institution - an institution where persons are confined for punishment and to protect the public
	3.	institution - a custom that for a long time has been an important feature of some group or society; "the institution of marriage"; "the institution of slavery"; "he had become an institution in the theater" custom, tradition - a specific practice of long standing levirate - the biblical institution whereby a man must marry the widow of his childless brother in order to maintain the brother's line
	4.	institution - the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new; "she looked forward to her initiation as an adult"; "the foundation of a new scientific society" founding, instauration, origination, initiation, innovation, creation, foundation, introduction commencement, start, beginning - the act of starting something; "he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations" authorship, paternity - the act of initiating a new idea or theory or writing; "the authorship of the theory is disputed"
	5.	institution - a hospital for mentally incompetent or unbalanced person insane asylum, mental home, mental hospital, mental institution, psychiatric hospital, asylum crazy house, cuckoo's nest, funny farm, funny house, loony bin, madhouse, nut house, nuthouse, sanatorium, snake pit, Bedlam - pejorative terms for an insane asylum hospital, infirmary - a health facility where patients receive treatment

institution

noun

1. establishment, body, centre, school, university, society, association, college, institute, organization, foundation, academy, guild, conservatory, fellowship, seminary, seat of learning Class size varies from one type of institution to another.

2. custom, practice, tradition, law, rule, procedure, convention, ritual, fixture, rite I believe in the institution of marriage.

3. creation, introduction, establishment, investment, debut, foundation, formation, installation, initiation, inauguration, enactment, inception, commencement, investiture the institution of the forty-hour week

4. home, hostel, residential care home, asylum, prison He spent 40 years in an institution before being released last year.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

institution

noun

The act of founding or establishing:

constitution, creation, establishment, foundation, organization, origination, start-up.

Translations

تَأسيس، إقامَهمُؤَسَّسَةٌمؤسَّسَه

instituceustavenízřízení

institutionoprettelseanstalt

Einrichtung Errichtung Institution Einführung

ίδρυμα θεσμός

institución establecimiento

laitos

fondation institution établissement

ustanova

stofnunstofnun, stofnunarbygging

istituzione

機関

기관

institutie

innføring institusjon

instytucja

instituição

учреждение заведение

inštitúcia

ustanova

institution

สถาบัน

kurum müessesekurmakuruluş

cơ quan

公共机构建立机构

institution

[ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən] N

1. (= act, founding) → fundación f, institución f; (= initiation) → iniciación f (Jur) [of proceedings] → entablación f

2. (= organization) → institución f

3. (= workhouse) → asilo m; (= madhouse) → manicomio m; (= hospital) → hospital m

4. (= custom) → institución f
tea is a British institution → el té es una institución en Gran Bretaña
it is too much of an institution to abolish → es una costumbre demasiado arraigada para poder abolirla

5. (= person) he became an institution at the Daily Star → se convirtió en toda una institución en el Daily Star

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

institution

[ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃ^ən] n

(= custom, tradition) → institution f
the institution of marriage → l'institution du mariage
to become an institution → devenir une institution

(= organization) → institution f
financial institutions → institutions financières

(caring for children, the sick) → institution f; (for young offenders) → institution f
a mental institution → une institution pour malade mentaux

(= putting in place) [system, rule] → institution f
the institution of the forty-hour week → l'instauration de la semaine de quarante heures

(= school) → institution f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

institution

(of new laws, customs, reforms) → Einführung f; (of organization) → Einrichtung f

(Jur, of inquiry, action) → Einleitung f; (of proceedings) → Anstrengung f; institution of divorce proceedings → Einreichung f → der Scheidung

(= organization) → Institution f, → Einrichtung f

(= building, home etc) → Anstalt f

(= custom) → Institution f; the institution of marriage → die Institution der Ehe; he’s been here so long he’s become an institution → er ist schon so lange hier, dass er zur Institution geworden ist

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

institution

[ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃ/ən] n

a. (organization) → istituzione f; (charitable institution) → istituto di beneficenza; (mental institution) → istituto psichiatrico

b. (custom, tradition) → istituzione f

institute

(ˈinstitjuːt) noun

a society or organization, or the building it uses. There is a lecture at the Philosophical Institute tonight.

verb

to start or establish. When was the Red Cross instituted?

ˌinstiˈtution noun

1. the act of instituting or process of being instituted.

2. (the building used by) an organization etc founded for a particular purpose, especially care of people, or education. schools, hospitals, prisons and other institutions.

ˌinstiˈtutional adjective

institution

→ مُؤَسَّسَةٌ instituce institution Institution ίδρυμα institución laitos institution ustanova istituzione 機関 기관 institutie institusjon instytucja instituição учреждение institution สถาบัน kurum cơ quan 公共机构

institution

n. institución; fundación; establecimiento; [mental] asilo, manicomio; [home for the aged] asilo de ancianos.

institution

n asilo, residencia, hospital m, establecimiento que ofrece cuidados prolongados (esp. para pacientes psiquiátricos); mental — hospital psiquiátrico or mental

References in classic literature ?

The Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind, at Boston, is superintended by a body of trustees who make an annual report to the corporation.

View in context

At the institution I attended there was no industrial training given to the students, and I had an opportunity of comparing the influence of an institution with no industrial training with that of one like the Hampton Institute, that emphasizes the industries.

View in context

His name was strange to the scientific and learned societies, and he never was known to take part in the sage deliberations of the Royal Institution or the London Institution, the Artisan's Association, or the Institution of Arts and Sciences.

View in context

And Stepan Arkadyevitch was not merely an honest man--unemphatically--in the common acceptation of the words, he was an honest man--emphatically--in that special sense which the word has in Moscow, when they talk of an "honest" politician, an "honest" writer, an "honest" newspaper, an "honest" institution, an "honest" tendency, meaning not simply that the man or the institution is not dishonest, but that they are capable on occasion of taking a line of their own in opposition to the authorities.

View in context

Upon the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the dissolution of the ties of allegiance, the assumption of sovereign power, and the institution of civil government, are all acts of transcendent authority, which the people alone are competent to perform; and, accordingly, it is in the name and by the authority of the people, that two of these acts--the dissolution of allegiance, with the severance from the British Empire, and the declaration of the United Colonies, as free and independent States--were performed by that instrument.

View in context

The situation I am enabled to offer you is that of secretary to a new Literary and Scientific Institution, about to be opened in the town of Duskydale, near which neighborhood I possess, as you must be aware, some landed property.

View in context

The Book of Army Management says: On the field of battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough: hence the institution of gongs and drums.

View in context

I do but quote from one of those speeches when I declare that "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery where it exists.

View in context

But it was not always so easy to perceive wherein you had contravened the spirit of this institution. I was many times called to order, if I may use the phrase, when I could not for the life of me conjecture what particular offence I had committed.

View in context

In dealing with the State we ought to remember that its institution are not aboriginal, though they existed before we were born; that they are not superior to the citizen; that every one of them was once the act of a single man; every law and usage was a man's expedient to meet a particular case; that they all are imitable, all alterable; we may make as good, we may make better.

View in context

"How can I trust my native institutions," was the form in which he put it, "after the way in which my native institutions have behaved to ME?" Add to this, that Mr.

View in context

No well-informed man will suppose that the affairs of such a confederacy can be properly regulated by a government less comprehensive in its organs or institutions than that which has been proposed by the convention.