1. (

• institution ,
• establishment

) an organization founded and united for a specific purpose ;

2. (

• institution

) an establishment consisting of a building or complex of buildings where an organization for the promotion of some cause is situated ;

3. (

• institution

) a custom that for a long time has been an important feature of some group or society; "the institution of marriage"; "the institution of slavery"; "he had become an institution in the theater" ;

4. (

• initiation ,
• founding ,
• foundation ,
• institution ,
• origination ,
• creation ,
• innovation ,
• introduction ,
• instauration

) the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new; "she looked forward to her initiation as an adult"; "the foundation of a new scientific society" ;

5. (

• mental_hospital ,
• psychiatric_hospital ,
• mental_institution ,
• institution ,
• mental_home ,
• insane_asylum ,
• asylum

) a hospital for mentally incompetent or unbalanced person ;