noun
establishment
ih-STAB-lihsh-muhnt
noun
1
A business, organization, or institution, especially one with a physical location.
"The restaurant is a well-known establishment on the high street."
"They run a small drinking establishment near the harbour."
2
The act of setting something up permanently, or the state of being set up.
"The establishment of the new committee took several months of planning."
3
The powerful, entrenched group in a society or field that tends to protect the existing order.
"The politician campaigned as an outsider against the establishment."
How to Use Establishment
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a business/institution, the act of setting one up, or (capitalized in meaning) the powerful insiders who run things.
Common mistake
When it means "the powerful elite," it's often used with "the" — "the Establishment" — and carries a slightly critical tone.
Common pairings
a drinking establishment
fight the establishment
establishment of a fund
Word Forms
establishments plural
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The restaurant is a well-known _____ on the high street.
Etymology
From Old French establissement, built on establir — see "establish."