Legal Definitions - institutionalize

Definition: To place a person in an institution or to give official sanction to a rule or practice.

Examples:

• After her mental breakdown, the family decided to institutionalize her in a psychiatric hospital.
• The government decided to institutionalize a new policy to reduce carbon emissions.

These examples illustrate the two different meanings of the term "institutionalize." In the first example, the term refers to placing a person in an institution, specifically a psychiatric hospital. This is often done when a person is unable to care for themselves or poses a danger to themselves or others. In the second example, the term refers to giving official sanction to a new policy. This means that the policy is now recognized and supported by the government, and will be enforced as a rule or practice.