in•sti•tute
Pronunciation: (in'sti-tt", -tyt"), [key]
— v., n. -tut•ed, -tut•ing,
—v.t.
- to set up; establish; organize: to institute a government.
- to inaugurate; initiate; start: to institute a new course in American literature.
- to set in operation: to institute a lawsuit.
- to bring into use or practice: to institute laws.
- to establish in an office or position.
- to assign to or invest with a spiritual charge, as of a parish.
—n.
- a society or organization for carrying on a particular work, as of a literary, scientific, or educational character.
- the building occupied by such a society.
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- an institution, generally beyond the secondary school level, devoted to instruction in technical subjects, usually separate but sometimes organized as a part of a university.
- a unit within a university organized for advanced instruction and research in a relatively narrow field of subject matter.
- a short instructional program set up for a special group interested in a specialized field or subject.
- an established principle, law, custom, or organization.
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- an elementary textbook of law designed for beginners.
- (cap.) Also calledIn&prim;stitutes of Justin&prim;ian.an elementary treatise on Roman law in four books, forming one of the four divisions of the Corpus Juris Civilis.
- something instituted.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.