institution

noun11

1. •
   a large group set up long ago to serve the public, such as a school, a bank or a hospital

   • The University of the South Pacific is the only internationally accredited institution of higher education in Oceania.
2. •
   The building or buildings which house such an organization.

   • He's been in an institution since the crash.
3. •
   A custom or practice of a society or community.

   • The institution of marriage is present in many cultures but its details vary widely across them.
4. •
   A mental institution.
5. •
   Any facility where people (especially those who are mentally or physically disabled or sick, or who are prisoners) are committed (confined), where their freedom to leave is restricted.
6. •
   A correctional institution.
7. •
   (informal) Any long established and respected place or business.

   • Over time, the local pub has become something of an institution.
8. •
   (informal) A person long established in a place, position, or field.

   • She's not just any old scholar; she is an institution.
9. •
   The act of instituting something.

   • The institution of higher speed limits was a popular move but increased the severity of crashes.
10. •
    The act by which a bishop commits a cure of souls to a priest.
11. •
    (no longer used) That which institutes or instructs, particularly a textbook or system of elements or rules.