tr.v., -lished, -lish·ing, -lish·es.

1. 1. To set up; found. See synonyms at found¹.
   2. To bring about; generate: establish goodwill in the neighborhood.
2. 1. To place or settle in a secure position or condition; install: They established me in my own business.
   2. To make firm or secure.
3. To cause to be recognized and accepted: a discovery that established his reputation.
4. To introduce and put (a law, for example) into force.
5. To prove the validity or truth of: The defense attorneys established the innocence of the accused.
6. To make a state institution of (a church).

[Middle English establishen, from Old French establir, establiss-, from Latin stabilīre, from stabilis, firm.]

establisher es·tab'lish·er n.

verb

1. To bring into existence formally: constitute, create, found, institute, organize, originate, set up, start. See start/end.
2. To place securely in a position or condition: ensconce, fix, install, seat, settle. See put in/take out.
3. To provide a basis for: base¹, build, found, ground, predicate, rest¹, root¹, underpin. See over/under.
4. To put in force or cause to be by legal authority: constitute, enact, legislate, make, promulgate. See action/inaction, make/unmake, politics.
5. To establish as true or genuine: authenticate, bear out, confirm, corroborate, demonstrate, endorse, evidence, prove, show, substantiate, validate, verify. See show/hide, support/oppose.

v

Definition: authenticate; demonstrate
Antonyms: confuse, disprove, invalidate

v

Definition: set up, organize
Antonyms: destroy, disestablish, invalidate, ruin, unsettle

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This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

This word occurs frequently in the Constitution of the United States, and it is used there in different meanings: (1) to settle firmly, to fix unalterably; as in to establish justice, which is the avowed object of the Constitution; (2) to make or form; as in to establish uniform laws governing naturalization or bankruptcy; (3) to found, to create, to regulate; as in "Congress shall have power to establish post offices"; (4) to found, recognize, confirm, or admit; as in "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"; and (5) to create, to ratify, or confirm, as in "We, the people … do ordain and establish this Constitution."

To settle, make, or fix firmly; place on a permanent footing; found; create; put beyond doubt or dispute; prove; convince. To enact permanently. To bring about or into existence.

IN BRIEF: To set up or to settle. Also: to show to be true or to prove.

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work. — H.L. Hunt.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - oprette, etablere, bevise, konstatere, opstille, fastsætte

Nederlands (Dutch)
instellen, vastleggen, introduceren en laten inburgeren, oprichten, tot stand brengen, aantonen, (zich) opzetten, constateren, maken tot, een kerk tot nationale kerk maken

Français (French)
v. tr. - établir (qch), fonder, créer (qch, un poste), monter (une usine), constituer (un tribunal, une société), instaurer (des lois, des coutumes), nouer (des relations), affermir (une autorité, un pouvoir), faire régner (l'ordre, la paix)

Deutsch (German)
v. - bilden, herstellen, feststellen, nachweisen, gründen, einführen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - καθιδρύω, ιδρύω, συνιστώ, εγκαθιδρύω, στηρίζω, στερεώνω, ενισχύω, εγκαθιστώ, στοιχειοθετώ, θεμελιώνω, αποδεικνύω, καταδεικνύω, αποκαθιστώ

Italiano (Italian)
constatare, dimostrare, istituire, determinare, stabilire

Português (Portuguese)
v. - estabelecer, fundar, constituir (governo)

Русский (Russian)
основывать, устанавливать, создавать, упрочить, постановить, доказывать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - sentar, hacer constar, demostrar, acreditar, probar, establecer, fundar, fijar, determinar, crear, instaurar, instituir

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - grunda, skapa, bilda, stifta, etablera, fastslå

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
建立, 制定, 确立

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 建立, 制定, 確立

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 설립하다, 자리잡게 하다, 국교회로 하다, 수립하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 設立する, 制定する, 落ち着かせる, 確立する, 立証する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يقيم, يؤسس‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮ייסד, מיסד, קבע, ביסס, הקים‬

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