/ ɪˈstæblɪʃ; NAmE / verb
1.
[ vn ] to start or create an organization, a system, etc. that is meant to last for a long time
SYN set up :
The committee was established in 1912.
The new treaty establishes a free trade zone.
2.
[ vn ] to start having a relationship, especially a formal one, with another person, group or country :
The school has established a successful relationship with the local community.
3.
[ vn ] establish sb/sth / yourself (in sth) (as sth) to hold a position for long enough or succeed in sth well enough to make people accept and respect you :
By then she was established as a star.
He has just set up his own business but it will take him a while to get established .
4.
[ vn ] to make people accept a belief, claim, custom etc. :
It was this campaign that established the paper's reputation.
Traditions get established over time.
5.
to discover or prove the facts of a situation
SYN ascertain :
[ vn ]
Police are still trying to establish the cause of the accident.
[ v that ]
They have established that his injuries were caused by a fall.
[ v wh- ]
We need to establish where she was at the time of the shooting.
[ vn that ]
It has since been established that the horse was drugged.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (recorded earlier as stablish ): from Old French establiss- , lengthened stem of establir , from Latin stabilire make firm, from stabilis (adjective) stable.