institution
/ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən/noun
1
- a society or organization founded for a religious, educational, social, or similar purpose（宗教、教育、社交性的）协会, 机构：
a certificate from a professional institution.
专业机构发的证书。
1.1
- an organization providing residential care for people with special needs（为特殊人群提供住院, 照顾的）院, 所, 机构：
an institution for the severely handicapped.
为重残人士设立的救济院。
1.2
- an established official organization having an important role in the life of a country, such as a bank, Church, or parliament对国民生活有重要作用的机构（如银行、教会、议会等）：
the institutions of democratic government.
民主治理的各机构。
1.3
- a large company or other organization involved in financial trading大金融公司; 大金融机构：
City institutions.
伦敦城的大金融机构。
2
- an established law, practice, or custom制度; 惯例; 风俗：
the institution of marriage.
婚姻制度。
2.1
- informal a well-established and familiar person, custom, or object〈非正式〉人尽皆知的人（或风俗、物体）：
he soon became something of a national institution.
他很快成为举国皆知的人物。
3
- mass noun the action of instituting something建立, 设立; 开始：
a delay in the institution of proceedings.
诉讼延期。
词源
late Middle English (in senses 2 and 3)： via Old French from Latin institutio（n-）, from the verb instituere （see INSTITUTE）. Sense 1 dates from the early 18th cent.