Meanings
- participlepastsimple past and past participle of institutionalize
comparative more institutionalized · superlative most institutionalized
- Having been established as an institution.
It is very difficult to get bureaucracies to abandon their institutionalized practices.
- Having been committed to an institution, such as a prison or an insane asylum.
Once a potential employer learns that you've been institutionalized, you can forget about getting the job.
- human sciencesHaving become dependent after a long time in, and unable to function outside of an institution, especially a prison.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveofficially placed in or committed to a specialized institution
adjectivegiven the character of an institution or incorporated into a structured and usually well-established system
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
institutionalized. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/institutionalized
“institutionalized.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/institutionalized. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “institutionalized,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/institutionalized.
Source: institutionalized on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.