institutions

IPA/ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/
KK[ˌɪnstɪtˈuʃənz]IPA/ˌɪn.stəˈtuː.ʃən/

institutions — noun

  • institutionssingular
  • institutionsesplural

1. a major organisation — like a large bank, a public museum, a university, or a go

1.nounB2
Definition

a major organisation — like a large bank, a public museum, a university, or a government department — that plays an important role in public life

Example

Maja applied for a home loan at a financial institution in central Warsaw.

collocation: financial institution

Aarav works for a research institution that studies the effects of climate change on farming.

Common collocations
  • financial institution
  • educational institution
  • cultural institution
  • religious institution
  • public institution
  • research institution
Synonyms
  • organization

    broader — any structured group with a shared goal, from a local club to a global company

  • establishment

    slightly more formal; stresses that the group is well-set-up and often long-standing

  • body

    used for official or public groups with a specific function, e.g. 'regulatory body'

Usage Note

Commonly paired with adjectives describing the sector: financial, educational, cultural, political, charitable, or religious.

Common Mistakes

She works for an institution of education near the station.
She works for an educational institution near the station.
use an adjective (educational, financial) before 'institution', not 'institution of + noun'.

2. a residential facility where people stay long-term for medical treatment, social

2.nounB2
Definition

a residential facility where people stay long-term for medical treatment, social support, or custody — typically without having chosen to be there — such as a psychiatric hospital, children's home, or prison

Example

After the accident, Xiu spent three months in a mental health institution.

collocation: mental health institution

Darius volunteered at an institution for children whose parents could no longer look after them.

Common collocations
  • mental institution
  • correctional institution
  • care institution
  • be placed in an institution
  • be sent to an institution
Synonyms
  • facility

    more neutral and clinical; a 'mental health facility' sounds less dated than 'mental institution'

  • home

    softer term for residential care, e.g. 'nursing home', 'children's home'

Usage Note

Often carries a sombre or clinical tone; the person inside typically had little say in being placed there. Frequently appears as 'mental institution', 'correctional institution', or 'care institution'.

Common Mistakes

Jabari went to an institution to study French for six months.
Jabari went to a language school to study French for six months.
sense 2 means a care or custody facility, not any place of learning or training.

3. a social practice, tradition, or structure so deep-rooted that it shapes how a w

3.nounC1
Definition

a social practice, tradition, or structure so deep-rooted that it shapes how a whole society functions — for instance, marriage, the legal system, or compulsory schooling

Example

Wren studied how the institution of marriage has changed over the last century.

collocation: the institution of marriage

Mira believes that the institution of the family is being reshaped by digital technology.

Common collocations
  • social institution
  • the institution of marriage
  • the institution of the family
  • a fundamental institution
Synonyms
  • tradition

    focuses on being handed down over generations; an institution can be a tradition that has gained structural weight

  • convention

    emphasises social agreement and expectation; less formal and less structural than an institution

  • custom

    smaller in scale — everyday habits rather than deep societal frameworks

Usage Note

This sense refers to abstract social structures, not physical buildings. Distinguish from sense 1 (concrete organisations) — here the meaning is a custom or system woven into the fabric of society.

Common Mistakes

The institution is on the corner of Park Street.
The organisation is on the corner of Park Street.
sense 3 is an abstract custom, not a building you can visit.

4. the formal act of introducing or setting up a new system, rule, procedure, or le

4.nounC1
Definition

the formal act of introducing or setting up a new system, rule, procedure, or legal process

Example

The institution of a new recycling scheme cut the town's household waste by nearly half.

pattern: the institution of + new system

Tanvi welcomed the institution of tighter safety checks after two accidents on the factory floor.

Common collocations
  • institution of proceedings
  • institution of a system
  • institution of rules
  • institution of laws
Synonyms
  • introduction

    less formal and far more common in everyday speech

  • establishment

    stresses creating something meant to last; slightly more formal

  • initiation

    emphasises the very first step of a process or procedure

Antonyms
  • abolition

    the formal act of ending a system, law, or practice

Usage Note

Restricted to formal, legal, or bureaucratic contexts. Almost always appears in the pattern 'the institution of [something]' where the something is an official measure.

Common Mistakes

The institution was built in 2005 with money from the city council.
The new system was introduced in 2005 with money from the city council.
sense 4 is the act of starting, not a physical building.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all refer to structured groups, but they carry different weights. Organization is the broadest — any group with a shared purpose, from a neighbourhood book club to a global charity. Establishment is more formal and suggests something solidly set up and often long-standing (a banking establishment, a fine-dining establishment). Body is used mainly for official or public entities with a regulatory or representative role: a governing body, an advisory body. Agency emphasises carrying out specific tasks on behalf of others, often within government (a government agency, a travel agency). An institution is typically larger, more deeply rooted, and serves a recognised public function. A university is an institution; a single department inside it is not. Compare: 'Theo joined a small community organisation that runs weekend football' (not an institution — too small and informal) versus 'the British Museum is one of London's most visited institutions.'

organization ↗establishment ↗body ↗agency ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • institution of

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Institution came into English in the 14th century via Old French from the Latin noun institutio, meaning 'arrangement, established custom, or system of instruction.' This in turn comes from the verb instituere — 'to set up, establish, or arrange.' The core idea of something deliberately founded or put in place runs through all four modern senses: a founded organisation, a founded care facility, a founded social practice, and the act of founding itself.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2