noninstitutional
|non-in-sti-tu-tion-al|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑːnɪnˌstɪˈtuːʃənəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnɪnˌstɪˈtjuːʃənəl/
not part of institutions
Etymology
'noninstitutional' originates from Latin and Late Latin roots: the prefix 'non-' from Latin 'non' meaning 'not', combined with 'institutional' from Latin 'institutio' (from 'instituere'), where 'instituere' meant 'to set up'.
'noninstitutional' changed from the adjective 'institutional' (itself from Latin 'institutio' via Medieval Latin and Old French) and in modern English took the negative prefix 'non-' to form the compound 'noninstitutional'.
Initially the elements meant 'not' + 'set up/established'; over time the compound evolved to mean 'not part of, or occurring outside, formal institutions' and broadened to include informal or independent activity.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not institutional; not associated with, provided by, or carried out within formal institutions (such as government agencies, established organizations, or official facilities).
The program provided noninstitutional care for elderly residents who preferred to stay in their homes.
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Adjective 2
originating outside or independent of established institutions; informal or grassroots in nature.
Researchers relied on noninstitutional data sources, such as community surveys and personal interviews.
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Last updated: 2025/11/01 11:53