Established

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃt/

Definitions

1. Having been officially founded or recognized within a certain environment over time
2. Formally created or set up after a period of time ; generally accepted as valid or true over time
3. Officially started or founded, often with a legal or formal basis ; widely accepted due to long presence or reputation

Etymology: The past participle of "establish" is easy to recognise, but the verb itself carries a more interesting history. "Establish" came into English in the late 14th century from Old French "establiss-", the stem of "establir", meaning to set up or make firm. That French verb descends from Latin "stabilire", "to make firm", which is built on "stabilis", steady or firm, the same root that gives English "stable". The word's core sense is physical: to make something stand firmly. Its modern senses of founding an institution or gaining general acceptance grew out of that idea of firmness. A law can be "established" in the sense of being fixed in place, and a reputation becomes "established" once it has stood long enough to be trusted.

Synonyms: settled, instituted, fixed, rooted, entrenched

Antonyms: unestablished, dissolved, disbanded