Meaning & use
establishment
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Meanings
noununcountable
The act of setting something up, such as a company, rule or system.
Grammar: Usually followed by of: the establishment of a fund.
Patterns
- the establishment of something
The establishment of a new library took three years.
The charter led to the establishment of the college.
Peace talks aimed at the establishment of a ceasefire.
nouncountableformal
A business, shop, restaurant or institution, especially a formal one.
Grammar: A formal word for a place: a dining establishment.
Patterns
- a dining establishment
The town has several fine dining establishments.
The establishment was closed after the inspection.
She runs a small educational establishment for adults.
nounsingular
The group of people who hold power and influence in a society and resist change.
Grammar: Usually with the: the establishment.
Patterns
- the political establishment
- against the establishment
The young poet rebelled against the establishment.
Many voters distrust the political establishment.
The scientific establishment took years to accept the idea.
Word forms
| plural | establishments |
|---|
Common combinations
- the establishment of
- The establishment of clear rules calmed the dispute.
- the political establishment
- The candidate promised to challenge the political establishment.
- dining establishment
- It is a quiet, family-run dining establishment.
- medical establishment
- The medical establishment urged caution about the drug.
- anti-establishment
- The band had an anti-establishment image.
Synonyms and how they differ
- foundation
- Foundation focuses on the starting point or its support, while establishment covers the act or the result.
- business
- Business is a general word for a firm, and establishment sounds more formal, especially for a place.
- the elite
- The elite stresses privilege and rank, while the establishment stresses power and a wish to keep things as they are.
- institution
- Institution suggests a lasting organization such as a school or bank, a narrower idea than the place sense of establishment.
Opposites
Word family
- establish verb
- to set up or prove
- established adjective
- long accepted or well known
- disestablish verb
- to end official state support
- antiestablishment adjective
- opposed to those in power
Commonly confused: establishment or establishing?
establishment vs establishing
Establishing is the verb form describing an action in progress, while establishment is the noun for the act or the place.
Practice
Which meaning of establishment fits: The singer was known for mocking the establishment.
Choose one answer.
With the, establishment refers to the powerful group that resists change. The singer is mocking people, not a place or an act.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “establishment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.