From Latin 'instituere' (to set up), from 'stare' (to stand) — same root as 'state,' 'statue,' and 'establish.'
A society or organization for a particular purpose, especially education or research; to set up or establish.
From Latin institutum (a purpose, plan, established arrangement, custom), neuter past participle of instituere (to set up, to establish, to arrange), from in- (in, into) + statuere (to set up, to place upright), from status, itself from stāre (to stand), from PIE *steh₂- (to stand). The root *steh₂- is richly attested: Sanskrit sthā-, Greek histēmi (I stand), Old English standan, Gothic standan, Lithuanian stóti, Old Church Slavonic stati. To institute something is literally to cause it to stand in place — to erect it, establish it, give it a standing
The words 'institute,' 'constitute,' 'substitute,' 'prostitute,' and 'destitute' all contain Latin 'statuere' (to set up, from 'stare,' to stand). An institute is 'set up in place.' A constitution is 'set up together.' A substitute is 'set up under' (in place of). A prostitute is 'set up before' (publicly exposed
Words closest in meaning, ranked by similarity