institutions

noun

A long established and respected organization, particularly one involved with education, public service, or charity work.

A custom or practice of a society or community.

The building or buildings which house such an organization.

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.

(informal) Any long established and respected place or business.

(informal) A person long established in a place, position, or field.

The act of instituting something.

(Christianity) The act by which a bishop commits a cure of souls to a priest.

(informal) Ellipsis of mental institution. [(derogatory or informal) A psychiatric hospital, or the psychiatric ward of a hospital.]

(informal) Ellipsis of correctional institution. [(US, formal, euphemistic) Synonym of correctional facility.]

(obsolete) That which institutes or instructs, particularly a textbook or system of elements or rules.

Roots

statuostit- · Latin · set up

Synonyms & related words for institutions

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Words related to institutions

Explore words related to institutions — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include institutional, institutionally, establishment, institutionalism, deinstitutionalize, universities, institutive, banks. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does institutions come from?

The word institutions breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root stit-, from Latin statuo (“set up”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.