establish

Universal Words verb 1 [VN] to start or create an organization, a system, etc. that is meant to last for a long time SYNSETUP: The committee was established in 1912. * The new treaty establishes a free trade zone. * Let's establish some ground rules. 2 [VN] to start having a relationship, especially a formal one, with another person, group or country: The school has established a successful relationship with the local community. 3 [VN] ~ sb/sth / yourself (in sth) (as sth) to hold a position for long enough or succeed in sth well enough to make people accept and respect you: By then she was established as a star. * He has just set up his own business but it will take him a while to get established. 4 [VN] to make people accept a belief, claim, custom etc: It was this campaign that established the paper's reputation. * Traditions get established over time. 5 to discover or prove the facts of a situation SYNASCERTAIN: [VN] Police are still trying to establish the cause of the accident. * [Vthat] They have established that his injuries were caused by a fall. * [Vwh-] We need to establish where she was at the time of the shooting. * [VNthat] It has since been established that the horse was drugged.