Establish

How to spell establish

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce establish

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does establish mean?

1. verbTo set something up on a firm or permanent basis, such as an organisation, rule, or relationship.
2. verbTo prove or confirm a fact beyond reasonable doubt.

Establish in a sentence

• The partners hoped to establish a small accounting firm within the year.

• The lawyer needed records to establish where her client was that night.

• The new manager wanted to establish clear procedures for handling complaints.

• The audit aimed to establish exactly how the money had been spent.

Where does establish come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin stabilire, meaning 'to make firm or steady', which was built on the adjective stabilis 'firm, steadfast' and ultimately on the verb stare 'to stand'. English borrowed it through Old French establir in the 1300s, and the early sense was very physical: to set something firmly in place so that it would not move. Over time that idea of fixing something solidly broadened into the modern senses of founding an institution, settling a fact beyond doubt, or putting a routine on a permanent footing. The same stare 'to stand' root lies behind a whole family of relatives, including 'stable', 'stand', 'station', and 'statue'. Remembering that core stabl- (the same letters as the start of 'stable') is a useful way to hold the spelling steady, since the trap is forgetting the b sitting quietly between sta and lish.

How the word is built

• e- (from Old French es-, from Latin ex-)
• stabl- (root stabilis: firm, steady)
• -ish (verb-forming suffix from French -iss-)