Meaning & use
institutionalized
Made into an accepted, ingrained part of a system, or placed in a hospital, prison, or care facility.
See it in a sentence
Racial discrimination had become institutionalized in the company's hiring practices for decades.
After years in the hospital, the elderly patient seemed fully institutionalized and anxious about going home.
A note on using this word
Institutionalized can describe a practice built into a system, or a person confined to a facility long enough to lose independence and initiative.
Words with a similar meaning
entrenchedingrained
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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