Etimology
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”).
noun
institution (countable and uncountable, plural institutions)
A custom or practice of a society or community.
A long established and respected organization, particularly one involved with education, public service, or charity work.
The building or buildings which house such an organization.
(informal) Ellipsis of mental institution.
(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. (Can we clean up(+) this sense?)
(obsolete) That which institutes or instructs, particularly a textbook or system of elements or rules.
(informal) Ellipsis of correctional institution.
Examples
The institution of marriage is present in many cultures but its details vary widely across them.
The University of the South Pacific is the only internationally accredited institution of higher education in Oceania.
He's been in an institution since the crash.
Over time, the local pub has become something of an institution.
[quoting Giles Coren] "The Wykeham Arms [a pub] is destroyed. They have turned a great old English institution into a shameful clip-joint. It's a shuddering, howling tragedy."
She's not just any old scholar; she is an institution.
The institution of higher speed limits was a popular move but increased the severity of crashes.
Accordingly if we can show that a barbarous custom, like that of the priesthood of Nemi, has existed elsewhere; if we can detect the motives which led to its institution; if we can prove that these motives have operated widely, perhaps universally, in human society...
Related words
synonyms
establishment
related terms
institute
institutional
institutionalism
institutionalist