# establish

/ɪˈstæbɫɪʃ/ (US) · /ɪstˈæblɪʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/establish
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to set up or found

verb · CEFR B2

to start a company, organization, or system that will continue for a long time.

For teachers: to set up an organisation, system, or set of rules on a firm or permanent basis.

- The family established a successful clothing business in the city over fifty years ago.
- The treaty established a new framework for international cooperation, ensuring that all member states adhered to the same environmental standards.

Usage: Often used with organizations, businesses, or formal systems as the object.

### 2. to prove as true

verb · CEFR B2 · Academic

to show that something is true by using facts or evidence.

For teachers: to achieve permanent acceptance or recognition for a fact or theory by providing evidence.

- The police are still trying to establish the facts of the case.
- The researchers were able to establish a clear link between the new medication and the improved recovery rates in the patient group.

Usage: Commonly used in legal, scientific, and academic contexts with objects like 'facts', 'links', or 'truth'.

### 3. to gain a reputation

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to become successful and respected in a particular job or field.

For teachers: to place someone or oneself in a position of respect or success within a profession or community.

- She quickly established herself as one of the best lawyers in the firm.
- By the age of thirty, he had established himself as a leading authority on medieval architecture through several influential publications.

Usage: Frequently used in the reflexive form 'establish oneself as'.

## Examples

- The company plans to establish a new office in Tokyo next year.
- The researchers worked for years to establish a clear link between the two chemical reactions.
- By publishing the results of the longitudinal study, the team hoped to establish a new standard for safety protocols within the manufacturing industry.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.