institutionalized

adjective

Meaning

Confined to a long-term residential facility, such as a prison, hospital, or asylum, to the point where one loses the ability to function independently in society.

Examples

Many long-term inmates become institutionalized, finding the structure of prison more comfortable than the unpredictability of freedom.
The report highlighted how the foster care system inadvertently institutionalized children, leaving them ill-equipped for adult independence.

Synonyms: confined, acculturated, indoctrinated, habitualized

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institutionalized

adjective

Pronunciation: ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃənəlaɪzd

Definition

Confined to a long-term residential facility, such as a prison, hospital, or asylum, to the point where one loses the ability to function independently in society.

Examples

Many long-term inmates become institutionalized, finding the structure of prison more comfortable than the unpredictability of freedom.
The report highlighted how the foster care system inadvertently institutionalized children, leaving them ill-equipped for adult independence.
He struggled to adapt to life after being institutionalized for over a decade due to his mental health struggles.

How to Use institutionalized

become institutionalized (collocation): to undergo the process of losing independence — "He feared he would become institutionalized if he stayed in the facility any longer."
institutionalized racism (collocation): systemic discrimination embedded in societal structures — "The committee was formed to address institutionalized racism within the hiring process."

Synonyms of institutionalized

Words with a similar meaning to institutionalized:

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