What does “institution” mean?
- 1
nouna large, important organization such as a university, bank or hospital
She works for a financial institution in New York.
- 2
nouna custom or system that has existed for a long time
Marriage is an old social institution.
Institution at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- B2 (upper intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃən/ · in-stih-TOO-shun
How to use “institution” correctly
An “institute” is usually a specific organization for research or training; “institution” is the wider, more general word.
Common phrases with “institution”
- financial institution
- academic institution
- public institution
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- organization
- establishment
Word family
- institute
- institutional
“institution” is on these word lists
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