established

adjective

es·​tab·​lished i-ˈsta-blisht 

1

: accepted and recognized or followed by many people

established rules/customs/traditions

2

a

: successful for a long period of time and widely known

an established author/artist

an established law firm

… people with Ph.D.s have been credentialed by established experts in their fields

—Louis Menand

b

: growing or flourishing successfully

an established plant

an established flower garden

3

of a church or religion : officially recognized and accepted by the government of a country

Some of the religious groups lasted, but at a price. Their dogma hardened, and they developed organizational structures that are mirror images of established churches.

—O. B. Hardison, Jr.

Examples of established in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It’s set in contemporary London with a diverse cast of established and upcoming actors. —Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 14 Mar. 2025

At this stage, the immune system, which typically struggles to attack an established tumor, has a better chance of targeting individual cancer cells. —Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2025

But the success - or lack of - of any spinoff TV series is dependent on establishing its own distinct storyline, providing new depth and interest to the established universe, and maintaining a strong connection to the source material without just rehashing old storylines. —Marc Berman, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025

As Banijay continues to expand its global footprint, the company remains committed to forging partnerships with key broadcasters, distributors and production companies in established and new/developing markets. —Jamie Lang, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing established

• established church
• established order
• pre-established

Rhymes for established

• disestablished
• preestablished
• reestablished
• stablished