institutionalize
UK[ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃənəlaɪz]US[ˌɪnstɪˈtuːʃənəlaɪz]
v
to make something become part of an established system or custom
v
to send someone to live in an institution, especially a hospital or prison, for a long period
Morpheme Breakdown
institution
al
ize
institution
al
ize
to make or become
Etymology
the word's journey begins with the latin verb 'instituere', meaning 'to set up, establish, or arrange', itself built from 'in-' (in, upon) and 'statuere' (to set up, stand). this root evolved into the noun 'institutio', denoting an established practice or custom, which entered english as 'institution'. the addition of the adjectival suffix '-al' creates 'institutional', pertaining to such established systems. finally, the greek-derived verbalizing suffix '-ize' is appended, a highly productive process in modern english, to form the verb meaning 'to make something characteristic of an institution' or 'to place into an institution'. the semantic logic flows from the core idea of establishing a structure to the process of making something conform to or be placed within such a structure.
Analysis
Structure: institution + al + ize
institution (from latin 'institutio', meaning establishment, custom, noun base) + al (latin adjectival suffix '-alis', forming adjectives) + ize (greek verbal suffix '-izein', forming verbs meaning 'to make or become')
Examples
the government sought to institutionalize new environmental protections through legislation.
decades ago, it was common to institutionalize people for certain mental health conditions.
the company worked to institutionalize best practices across all its global offices.