Meaning & use
stablished or established
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
A pairing used to ask which past form is correct, where modern English uses "established".
Grammar: Functions as a comparison heading rather than a full sentence.
Patterns
- X or Y
The editor circled "stablished or established" and chose the second.
In the old manuscript quiz, "stablished or established" tests your knowledge of verb forms.
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of "establish": set up or proved something.
Grammar: Used after "have" or as a past-tense verb: they established the rules; the rules were established.
Patterns
- established something
- was established
- has established something
The company was established in 1985 by two engineers.
Researchers have established a link between diet and heart disease.
She established herself as a leading violinist within a few years.
adjectivebefore a noun
Generally accepted or recognized as valid, especially in a profession or society.
Grammar: Comes before the noun: an established writer. Not usually used after "be" in this sense.
Patterns
- an established something
- well established
He is an established author with twelve published novels.
The practice is well established in many schools.
Common combinations
- well established
- The clinic is well established in the local community.
- established fact
- It is an established fact that the earth orbits the sun.
- established order
- The revolution threatened the established order.
- established in
- The firm was established in 1902.
Synonyms and how they differ
- founded
- Often used for institutions and companies; "established" is broader and also means proved or accepted.
- proven
- Fits the "shown to be true" sense better than the "set up" sense.
- recognized
- Focuses on acceptance by others; "established" can also mean created or set up.
Opposites
Word family
- establish verb
- To set up or prove something.
- establishment noun
- An organization or the act of creating one.
- establishing verb
- The -ing form, as in "establishing a new rule".
Commonly confused: stablished or established or stablished? stablished or established or stable?
stablished or established vs stablished
An archaic spelling of "established" seen in older texts; do not use it in modern writing.
stablished or established vs stable
Means steady or unchanging; not the same as "established", which means set up or accepted.
Practice
Choose the correct modern sentence.
Choose one answer.
The passive past form is "established"; "stablished" is archaic, "establish" is the base form, and "stablish" is an old variant that does not fit after "was".
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stablished or established”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.