institutions

noun

plural of institution
1
as in institutes
a public organization with a particular purpose or function a charitable institution devoted to raising funds to feed the hungry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in fixtures
a person who has long been associated with a place or activity an actor who has been a Broadway institution for decades

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in organizations
a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest an institution devoted to studying social problems and proposing solutions for them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of institutions Many of the same institutions and organizations that offer classes are also looking for teachers. — Amanda Gardner, Martha Stewart, 5 July 2026 Years later, however, thousands of institutions persist to admit students without standardized test scores. — Scott White, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 This swept away Iran’s monarchy and birthed a state that is part theocracy, part republic, with a handful of semi-democratic institutions swaddled by a system that is ultimately clerical. — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 Research consistently shows that these institutions produce strong workforce, degree completion, and economic mobility outcomes despite serving students with fewer resources. — Anthony Hernandez, Fortune, 5 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for institutions
  1. institutes
  2. fixtures
  3. organizations
  4. groups
  5. societies
  6. foundations
  7. associations
  8. fraternities
Noun
  • Each year, Congress apportions funds to individual institutes within NIH based on what lawmakers deem most critical to the public.
    — Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 27 June 2026
  • The company has 23 quantum systems installed at research institutes, enterprises, and high-performance computing centers and understands the need and urgency for fault-tolerant quantum computers.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 June 2026
Definition of institutes
Noun
  • The schedule also includes regular fixtures Schiaparelli, Julie de Libran, Elie Saab, Alexis Mabille, and Viktor&Rolf.
    — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 6 July 2026
  • Dish Soap Using harsh chemicals on the outside of your toilet bowl and fixtures is not recommended, according to Meagher.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026
Definition of fixtures
Noun
  • Dias said that backers of noncitizen voting need to build a broad coalition — grassroots organizations, election officials, lawyers for the city — before taking the proposal to voters.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • The prince is the official royal patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and also the Patron of the Football Association (FA), England's governing body for soccer organizations.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of organizations
Noun
  • Large friendship groups can be a really cool experience, but can also pose challenges in terms of the depths of intimacy that can be cultivated with each person.
    — Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 2 July 2026
  • Its beachfront villas suit multigenerational families and friend groups alike, with activities ranging from oyster roasts to horseback riding, shooting, golf, biking, kayaking, boating and fishing.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of groups
Noun
  • But even as democratic governments have become more proficient and more technologically adept at thwarting terrorists, some in our societies have become insensitive, or even callous, about the civilizational consequences of terror and violence.
    — Anne Neuberger, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
  • Many industrial societies are facing aging populations, tightening labor markets and growing shortages of skilled workers.
    — Arungalai Anbarasu, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of societies
Noun
  • Their radical act wasn't to reject law, but to defend it, believing the British government had abandoned its own legal foundations.
    — Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Policymakers should treat it as a reminder that the country’s foundations are still cracking — and if the drift continues, the next rupture will be something darker.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of foundations
Noun
  • To mitigate the financial impact, players’ associations usually create a lockout fund that pays players a portion of their salary during a work stoppage.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026
  • These non-profit associations focus on every imaginable issue and activity, and reflect the widely divergent views of our population.
    — Michael Posner, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of associations
Noun
  • While fraternities and sororities often have their own chapter gatherings and organizational conferences, the picnic creates a space where members from different organizations can come together in a more informal setting.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2026
  • Members of five historically Black fraternities and sororities will be able to request Michigan license plates featuring their organization's logo.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Definition of fraternities

Browse Nearby Words

institution
institutions
instruct
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Institutions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/institutions. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on institutions

Nglish: Translation of institutions for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All