institutions
Society's foundational structures
Institutions are established organizations or systems that structure society—governments, courts, schools, banks, churches.
The word often implies permanence and authority: democratic institutions, financial institutions.
An institution can also be a long-standing custom or fixture: Sunday dinner was an institution in our family.
Someone who has become an institution is a deeply familiar presence: She's an institution around here.
To institutionalize is to place someone in a facility for care or confinement, or to establish something as standard practice.
Higher education institution
- collegeHigher education institution
- academyInstitution of learning
- schoolPlace of instruction
- seminaryClergy training college
conservatory · polytechnic · campus · faculty · tenure · curriculum · accreditation · enrollment
Legally separate business entity
- nonprofitOrganization serving public good
- NGOIndependent charitable organization
- agencyPower to act
- bureauOffice or furniture chest
firm · company · establishment · conglomerate · multinational · partnership · consortium · cooperative
Underlying support system
- structureArrangement of interconnected parts
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
- bureaucracyRigid administrative system
- protocolPrescribed conduct rules
procedure · policy · mechanism · infrastructure · governance · administration · oversight · accountability
Formal union between partners
- familyRelated people together
- religionSystem of spiritual belief
- kinshipState of being related
- casteInherited social division
clan · tribe · community · tradition · custom · norm · ritual · ceremony
Lawmaking governmental branch
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
- senateLegislative governing body
- ministryClergy's work or state department
embassy · court · tribunal · regulatory body · central bank · military · police · civil service
Energy transfer rate
- legitimacyLawful or rightful status
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- mandateFormal authoritative directive
- enforcementCompelling compliance with rules
regulation · sanction · compliance · sovereignty · autonomy · control · dominance · oversight
university
Higher education institution
seminary · conservatory · polytechnic · campus · faculty · tenure · curriculum · accreditation · enrollment · alumni
corporation
Legally separate business entity
bureau · firm · company · establishment · conglomerate · multinational · partnership · consortium · cooperative · subsidiary
framework
Underlying support system
- structureArrangement of interconnected parts
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
- bureaucracyRigid administrative system
protocol · procedure · policy · mechanism · infrastructure · governance · administration · oversight · accountability · reform
marriage
Formal union between partners
caste · clan · tribe · community · tradition · custom · norm · ritual · ceremony · rite of passage
legislature
Lawmaking governmental branch
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
- senateLegislative governing body
ministry · embassy · court · tribunal · regulatory body · central bank · military · police · civil service · municipality
power
Energy transfer rate
- legitimacyLawful or rightful status
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- mandateFormal authoritative directive
enforcement · regulation · sanction · compliance · sovereignty · autonomy · control · dominance · oversight · coercion
- international lawinternational law, treaty, treaties, conventions, protocols
- Education & Cultureschools, curriculum, teachers, students, literacy
- organizationsorganization, organizations, company, companies, club
- group sociologysocial groups, groups, teams, clubs, networks
- political sciencepolitical science, political theory, political behavior, political economy, voting behavior
- sociologysocial structure, social class, social norms, social mobility, socialization
institutionsgrassroots movements
Citizen-led collective action
personal relationships · flash mobs · mobs · crowds · cliques
institutionsindividuals
Separate, distinct people
mavericks · freelancers · rogues · persons · free agents
- elite institutionExclusive high-status organization
- mental institutionPsychiatric treatment facility
- national institutionsCountry's essential governmental bodies
- democratic institutionsBodies enabling collective self-governance
- financial institutionsEntities handling monetary services
- public institutionGovernment-run organization serving citizens
institution, institutional, institutionalize, institutionalized, institutionally, institutionalization, institutionalizing, institutionalizes, institutional racism