institution

 
Pronunciation: /ɪnstɪˈtjuːʃ(ə)n/

noun

  • 1an organization founded for a religious, educational, professional, or social purpose: an academic institution a certificate from a professional institution
  • an organization providing residential care for people with special needs: about 5 per cent of elderly people live in institutions
  • an established official organization having an important role in a society, such as the Church or parliament: the institutions of democratic government
  • a large company or other organization involved in financial trading: City institutions
  • 2an established law or practice: the institution of marriage
  • informal a well-established and familiar person or custom: he soon became something of a national institution
  • 3 [mass noun] the action of instituting something: a delay in the institution of proceedings

Origin:

late Middle English (in institution (sense 2), institution (sense 3)): via Old French from Latin institutio(n-), from the verb instituere (see institute). institution (sense 1) dates from the early 18th century