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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

institution.

A long-established organization or type of organization, particularly one involved with education, public service, or charity work.

11 characters4 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən//ˌɪn.stɪˈtjuː.ʃən//ˌɪn.stɪˈtu.ʃən/Canada, General-American/ˌɪn.stɪˈtjʉː.ʃən/Australia
  1. A long-established organization or type of organization, particularly one involved with education, public service, or charity work.

    countable · uncountable
    The University of the South Pacific is the only internationally accredited institution of higher education in Oceania.
  2. A custom or practice of a society or community.

    countable · uncountable
    The institution of marriage is present in many cultures but its details vary widely across them.
  3. The building or buildings which house such an organization.

    countable · uncountable
    He's been in an institution since the crash.
  4. A mental institution.

    countable · informal · uncountable
  5. Any facility where people (especially those who are mentally or physically disabled or sick, or who are prisoners) are committed (confined), where their freedom to leave is restricted.

    countable · uncountable
  6. Any long established and respected place or business.

    countable · informal · uncountable
    Over time, the local pub has become something of an institution.
  7. A person long established in a place, position, or field.

    countable · informal · uncountable
    She's not just any old scholar; she is an institution.
  8. The act of instituting something.

    countable · uncountable
    The institution of higher speed limits was a popular move but increased the severity of crashes.
  9. The act by which a bishop commits a cure of souls to a priest.

    countable · uncountable
  10. That which institutes or instructs, particularly a textbook or system of elements or rules.

    countable · obsolete · uncountable
  11. A correctional institution.

    countable · informal · uncountable
Where this word comes from

From Middle English institucioun, from Old French institution, from Latin institūtiō, from instituō (“to set up”), from in- (“in, on”) + statuō (“to set up, establish”). Equivalent to institute + -ion.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.