institutions
institutions — noun
- institutionssingular
- institutionsesplural
1. a major organisation — like a large bank, a public museum, a university, or a go
a major organisation — like a large bank, a public museum, a university, or a government department — that plays an important role in public life
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.
The museum is one of the oldest cultural institutions in the entire country.
Several religious institutions in Manuela's neighbourhood offer free language classes to newcomers.
Pim gave a lecture at an institution that trains nurses for remote mountain communities.
- 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'
用法筆記
Commonly paired with adjectives describing the sector: financial, educational, cultural, political, charitable, or religious.
常見錯誤
2. a residential facility where people stay long-term for medical treatment, social
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
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.
The judge sent him to a young-offender institution for a period of eighteen months.
Conditions inside the old institution were poor until an independent inspector published a report.
Henry's great-aunt has lived in a care institution since breaking her hip two winters ago.
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
3. a social practice, tradition, or structure so deep-rooted that it shapes how a w
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
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.
The right to a fair trial is a fundamental institution in any democracy.
Iker argued that the institution of monarchy survives by adapting its public image.
At her niece's wedding in Marseille, Esther watched the vows and finally grasped what the institution of marriage truly means.
- 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
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
4. the formal act of introducing or setting up a new system, rule, procedure, or le
the formal act of introducing or setting up a new system, rule, procedure, or legal process
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.
The institution of free school lunches helped thousands of children eat more healthily.
Staff attended a briefing on the new rules after the institution of updated data-protection laws.
The committee recommended the immediate institution of legal proceedings against the company.
- 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
- abolition
the formal act of ending a system, law, or practice
用法筆記
Restricted to formal, legal, or bureaucratic contexts. Almost always appears in the pattern 'the institution of [something]' where the something is an official measure.