institution

noun

ˌin(t)-stə-ˈtü-shən How to pronounce institution (audio)
Definition of institutionnext
1
as in institute
a public organization with a particular purpose or function a charitable institution devoted to raising funds to feed the hungry

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in fixture
a person who has long been associated with a place or activity an actor who has been a Broadway institution for decades

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in organization
a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest an institution devoted to studying social problems and proposing solutions for them

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of institution Other announced training institutions include two new non-commissioned officer (NCO) colleges. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026 Beyond apprenticeships, the mayor’s childcare office is weighing opportunities for assistant teachers to become lead teachers, and partnerships with CUNY and other higher education institutions on more traditional models. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026 Indeed, rather than holding power to account, media figures and institutions were complicit in shaping public opinion to support the war. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 Ultimately, polling’s usefulness is limited, especially for an institution like the Supreme Court, writes Kate Shaw, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, in an email. — Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for institution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for institution
  1. institute
  2. fixture
  3. organization
  4. group
  5. society
  6. foundation
  7. association
  8. establishment
Noun
  • The institute’s annual watch list is one of the sources that most informs pundits and punters about the top contenders.
    — Mark Lewis, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Indeed, Monét says her album was indelibly shaped by her time at the culinary institute.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of institute
Noun
  • The Pearly Kings were once a fixture of East London, raising money in their mother-of-pearl suits.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Former regulars at Dimples, the Burbank karaoke bar where Haskins sang Sinatra, dueted with staff and made strangers feel like friends, remember the actor as a gregarious fixture.
    — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fixture
Noun
  • There is a subset of incoming college first year students, men and women, who find these organizations really appealing, and some of it is entirely understandable.
    — Richard Hall, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The county’s options for the facility range from holding Discovery Place in default and taking over the nature museum to accepting Discovery Place’s terms and giving the organization decades to repay the debt, staff said.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of organization
Noun
  • The letter is spearheaded by Guardrails Action, the nonprofit affiliated with Guardrails Alliance, the super PAC launched in June as a counterweight to pro-AI election groups.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The service The service at Sala is seamless and friendly, and from arrival, the front desk staff feels more like a group of friends than a removed set of hotel employees.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of group
Noun
  • Unsurprisingly, Altman, 41, is a true believer in the society-changing potential of AI.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And while The Atlantic has published largely skeptical coverage of major AI companies and their products’ impact on society, Thompson’s tone, in his podcasts and LinkedIn posts, has been more optimistic.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of society
Noun
  • During construction, architect Pedro Rabassa found an 11th-century Moorish oven in the foundations.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, younger donors are more likely to give through charitable trusts, family foundations, fundraising, and mentorship.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of foundation
Noun
  • The clash added another layer to a campaign in which el Sayed’s positions on foreign policy and his associations with prominent progressive figures have become points of contention.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The hospitality and hotel sector is one of Europe’s largest employers, with more than 10 million people working across 2 million businesses, according to data from Hotrec, the association of hotels, restaurants, bars, and cafés in Europe.
    — Ted Kitterman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of association
Noun
  • The area might feel a bit buttoned-up and corporate for vacationers, but those in Abu Dhabi for work will be within a stone's throw of some of the city's best power-lunch and expense-account-dinner establishments.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The disappearance of those letters—which would last for half a century—aided in the literary establishment’s attempts to paint Robin as the madwoman in the attic of Plath studies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of establishment

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instituting
institution
institutions
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Cite this Entry

“Institution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/institution. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about institution

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