Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: American National Standards Institute
Term: INSTITUTIONALIZE
Definition: When someone is put into a special place to live, like a hospital or a home, we say they have been institutionalized. It can also mean when a rule or way of doing things becomes official and accepted by a group of people.
Definition: To place a person in an institution or to give official sanction to a rule or practice.
Examples:
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.