institution
noun
in·sti·tu·tion
| \ ˌin(t)-stə-ˈtü-shən
, -ˈtyü-\
, -ˈtyü-\
Definition of institution
1
: an act of instituting : establishment
2a
: 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
b
: an established organization or corporation (such as a bank or university) especially of a public character
financial institutions
c
: 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.
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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
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Recent Examples on the Web
Yet the evening had been a very satisfying one, and the players, in their civvies, soon repaired to Café Bazar, down the street, one of the great institutions in the city. — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, "Mozart & Co. at the Salzburg Festival," 22 Aug. 2019 The city’s economic base is being re-calibrated with new and smaller industries, and this will drive an expansion of the educational and cultural institutions. — courant.com, "Hartford’s future: 2020 visions of the city in 2025, in 2030," 22 Aug. 2019 Many of the other institutions see lending programs as a way to help people save money or lead more sustainable lives by owning fewer things. — Washington Post, "Don’t want to buy? You can borrow household items too," 21 Aug. 2019 All of those institutions are amazing places to play football. — Vytas Mazeika, The Mercury News, "The Fab Forty, No. 6: Meet Palo Alto’s next impact WR," 14 Aug. 2019 Below are some of the popular institutions in India, established by him. — Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, "The man who established India’s space programme and its premier B-school turns 100," 11 Aug. 2019 Those are numbers that rival the U.S. military, one of the most trusted institutions among the American public. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "CVS Is Demolishing Wall Street Expectations. Here’s What That Means: Brainstorm Health," 7 Aug. 2019 But despite these efforts, countless opalized fossils are being lost to the black market, pushed out of the reach of research institutions by the highest bidder. — Clare Watson, Smithsonian, "Scientists and Miners Team Up to Preserve Opalized Fossils," 1 Aug. 2019 Its original mission was getting people with disabilities out of institutions. — Carina Julig, The Denver Post, "Arc Thrift Stores’ economic impact in Colorado is huge — to the tune of $2.3 billion since 2005 — a DU study shows," 31 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'institution.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for institution
institution
noun
English Language Learners Definition of institution
: an established organization
: a place where an organization takes care of people for a usually long period of time
: a custom, practice, or law that is accepted and used by many people
See the full definition for institution in the English Language Learners Dictionary
institution
noun
in·sti·tu·tion
| \ ˌin-stə-ˈtü-shən
, -ˈtyü-\
, -ˈtyü-\
Kids Definition of institution
1
: the beginning or establishment of something
the institution of new rules
2
: an established custom, practice, or law
Turkey dinners are a Thanksgiving institution.
3
: an established organization
business institutions
institution
noun
in·sti·tu·tion
| \ ˌin(t)-stə-ˈt(y)ü-shən
\
\
Medical Definition of institution
: 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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institution
noun
in·sti·tu·tion
Legal Definition of institution
1
: the act of instituting
2
: a significant practice, relationship, or organization in a society or culture
the institution of marriage
3
: an established organization or corporation especially of a public character
specifically
: a facility for the treatment or training of persons with mental deficiencies
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