An institution is a formal, established system or organization that plays an important role in society.

Main meanings

  • A large, important organization, usually serving the public, like a school, bank, hospital, university, or church.
  • A place where people are looked after for a long time, such as a prison, mental health facility, or other residential care center.
  • A long‑standing custom or practice in society, like marriage or traditional holidays; people may say “marriage is an institution.”
  • Informally, a person or thing that has been around so long in one area that it feels “part of the furniture,” for example “He’s an institution in local politics.”

Simple examples

  • “Harvard is an internationally respected institution” → a major university.
  • “She was sent to a correctional institution” → a prison or similar facility.
  • “The institution of marriage is changing” → the social custom of marriage.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.