1. Bring an organization, system or arrangement into sustained existence.
2. Provide sufficient evidence to make a fact or claim reliably accepted.
3. Gain a stable, recognized position for someone or something.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- establish an institution
- establish a framework
On the page
The agreement established an independent panel to review unresolved disputes.
A pilot program can test a service without establishing a permanent administrative body.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- establish
- Past tense
- established
- Past participle
- established
- Present participle
- establishing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- establish
- Present continuous
- am/is/are establishing
- Present perfect
- have/has established
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been establishing
- Past
- established
- Past continuous
- was/were establishing
- Past perfect
- had established
- Past perfect continuous
- had been establishing
- Future
- will establish
- Future continuous
- will be establishing
- Future perfect
- will have established
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been establishing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: establish; establishes; established; established; establishing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation, qualification. Disciplines: general academic writing. Commonness: common. Third-person singular: establishes.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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