noun · 16 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/yod-coalescence
/ˌɪn.stɪˈtjuː.ʃən/non-yod-coalescence
Canada, General-American:/ˌɪn.stɪˈtu.ʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/ˌɪn.stɪˈtjʉː.ʃən/
rhymes with -uːʃən
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N S T IH0 T UW1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A long-established organization or type of organization, particularly one involved with education, public service, or charity work.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The University of the South Pacific is the only internationally accredited institution of higher education in Oceania.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A custom or practice of a society or community.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The institution of marriage is present in many cultures but its details vary widely across them.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The building or buildings which house such an organization.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
He's been in an institution since the crash.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A mental institution.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, informal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
Any long established and respected place or business.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, informal, uncountable
Examples
Over time, the local pub has become something of an institution.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A person long established in a place, position, or field.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, informal, uncountable
Examples
She's not just any old scholar; she is an institution.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
The act of instituting something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The institution of higher speed limits was a popular move but increased the severity of crashes.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
The act by which a bishop commits a cure of souls to a priest.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
That which institutes or instructs, particularly a textbook or system of elements or rules.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
A correctional institution.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, informal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
noun
Meaning 12
the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new
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.
Across languages
Translations
122 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
institucion
— established organisation
Arabic:
مُؤَسَّسَة
(muʔassasa)
— established organisation
Armenian:
հաստատություն
(hastatutʻyun)
— established organisation
Armenian:
հիմնում
(himnum)
— established organisation
Armenian:
ինստիտուտ
(institut)
— established organisation
Azerbaijani:
müəssisə
— established organisation
Azerbaijani:
quruluş
— established organisation
Belarusian:
устано́ва
(ustanóva)
— established organisation
Belarusian:
арганіза́цыя
(arhanizácyja)
— established organisation
Belarusian:
iнстыту́цыя
(instytúcyja)
— established organisation
Bulgarian:
учрежде́ние
(učreždénie)
— established organisation
Bulgarian:
институ́ция
(institúcija)
— established organisation
Bulgarian:
организа́ция
(organizácija)
— established organisation
Catalan:
institució
— established organisation
Chinese Mandarin:
機關 /机关
(jīguān)
— established organisation
Chinese Mandarin:
機構 /机构
(jīgòu)
— established organisation
Czech:
instituce
— established organisation
Danish:
institution
— established organisation
Dutch:
instelling
— established organisation
Esperanto:
institucio
— established organisation
Finnish:
instituutio
— established organisation
Finnish:
laitos
— established organisation
Finnish:
toimielin
— established organisation
French:
institution
— established organisation
Galician:
institución
— established organisation
German:
Institution
— established organisation
Greek:
ίδρυμα
(ídryma)
— established organisation
Hindi:
संस्था
(sansthā)
— established organisation
Hindi:
प्रतिष्ठान
(pratiṣṭhān)
— established organisation
Hindi:
संस्थान
(sansthān)
— established organisation
Hungarian:
intézmény
— established organisation
Icelandic:
stofnun
— established organisation
Indonesian:
institusi
— established organisation
Italian:
istituzione
— established organisation
Japanese:
機構
(kikō)
— established organisation
Japanese:
機関
(kikan)
— established organisation
Kazakh:
ведомство
(vedomstvo)
— established organisation
Kazakh:
идара
(idara)
— established organisation
Korean:
기관
(gigwan)
— established organisation
Central Kurdish:
دەزگا
(dezga)
— established organisation
Lao:
ສະຖາບັນ
(sa thā ban)
— established organisation
Latvian:
iestāde
— established organisation
Macedonian:
институција
(institucija)
— established organisation
Macedonian:
установа
(ustanova)
— established organisation
Malayalam:
സ്ഥാപനം
(sthāpanaṁ)
— established organisation
Māori:
whareako
— established organisation
Norwegian Bokmål:
institusjon
— established organisation
Iranian Persian:
سازْمان
(sâzmân)
— established organisation
Iranian Persian:
مُؤَسِّسِه
(mo'assese)
— established organisation
Iranian Persian:
اِدارِه
(edâre)
— established organisation
Polish:
instytucja
— established organisation
Portuguese:
instituição
— established organisation
Romanian:
instituție
— established organisation
Russian:
учрежде́ние
(učreždénije)
— established organisation
Russian:
заведе́ние
(zavedénije)
— established organisation
Russian:
организа́ция
(organizácija)
— established organisation
Russian:
ве́домство
(védomstvo)
— established organisation
Russian:
институ́ция
(institúcija)
— established organisation
Scottish Gaelic:
stèidheachadh
— established organisation
Serbo-Croatian:
институ́ција
— established organisation
Serbo-Croatian:
institúcija
— established organisation
Sikkimese:
ཉམ་ཞིབ་ཁང
(nyam zhib khang)
— established organisation
Slovak:
inštitúcia
— established organisation
Slovene:
institucija
— established organisation
Spanish:
institución
— established organisation
Swahili:
taasisi
— established organisation
Swahili:
chuo
— established organisation
Swedish:
institut
— established organisation
Tagalog:
tatagin
— established organisation
Tajik:
муассиса
(muassisa)
— established organisation
Tajik:
идора
(idora)
— established organisation
Tajik:
ташкилот
(taškilot)
— established organisation
Thai:
สถาบัน
(sà-tǎa-ban)
— established organisation
Turkish:
müessese
— established organisation
Turkish:
kuruluş
— established organisation
Turkish:
kurum
— established organisation
Ottoman Turkish:
قوروم
(kurum)
— established organisation
Ukrainian:
устано́ва
(ustanóva)
— established organisation
Ukrainian:
за́клад
(základ)
— established organisation
Ukrainian:
організа́ція
(orhanizácija)
— established organisation
Ukrainian:
інститу́ція
(instytúcija)
— established organisation
Urdu:
اِدارَہ
(idāra)
— established organisation
Uzbek:
muassasa
— established organisation
Uzbek:
idora
— established organisation
Uzbek:
tashkilot
— established organisation
Vietnamese:
cơ quan
— established organisation
Vietnamese:
thiết chế
— established organisation
Azerbaijani:
təsisat
— custom or practice of a society or community
Belarusian:
інстыту́т
(instytút)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Belarusian:
інстыту́цыя
(instytúcyja)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Bulgarian:
пра́ктика
(práktika)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Bulgarian:
институ́ция
(institúcija)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Chinese Mandarin:
制度
(zhìdù)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Czech:
instituce
— custom or practice of a society or community
Danish:
institution
— custom or practice of a society or community
Finnish:
instituutio
— custom or practice of a society or community
German:
Institution
— custom or practice of a society or community
Greek:
θεσμός
(thesmós)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Hindi:
रीति
(rīti)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Hindi:
प्रथा
(prathā)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Hungarian:
intézmény
— custom or practice of a society or community
Indonesian:
institusi
— custom or practice of a society or community
Indonesian:
pranata
— custom or practice of a society or community
Japanese:
制度
(seido)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Kazakh:
жүйе
(jüie)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Korean:
제도
(jedo)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Macedonian:
установа
(ustanova)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Iranian Persian:
رَسْم
(rasm)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Polish:
instytucja
— custom or practice of a society or community
Russian:
институ́т
(institút)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Russian:
институ́ция
(institúcija)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Tagalog:
gawiin
— custom or practice of a society or community
Ottoman Turkish:
قوروم
(kurum)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Ukrainian:
інститу́т
(instytút)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Ukrainian:
інститу́ція
(instytúcija)
— custom or practice of a society or community
Vietnamese:
thể chế
— custom or practice of a society or community
Bulgarian:
институ́ция
(institúcija)
— person long established with a certain place or position
Finnish:
instituutio
— person long established with a certain place or position
German:
Institution
— person long established with a certain place or position
Greek:
μορφή
(morfí)
— person long established with a certain place or position
Greek:
προσωπικότητα
(prosopikótita)
— person long established with a certain place or position
Polish:
instytucja
— person long established with a certain place or position