Other forms: institutions
An institution is an established organisation, or a custom so long settled that nobody questions it. A university, a bank, or the Sunday roast.
The organisational sense covers hospitals, prisons, banks and universities, and financial institutions is a standard phrase. The second sense is about practices, so marriage is described as an institution. There is a third, affectionate use for a person who has been somewhere so long that they have become part of it. Institutionalised describes somebody unable to cope outside such a place.
1nounorganisationAn established organisation such as a bank, university or hospital.
“The bank is one of the oldest institutions in the country.”
2nouninstitutionA long-established custom or practice.
“Afternoon tea is a national institution.”
An institution is something set up. Latin instituō is in plus statuō, to establish, so the word named the founding first and the thing founded afterwards.
Latin
institūtiō
Old French
institution
Middle English
institucioun
English, today
institution
Built from
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.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA