: accepted and recognized or followed by many people
established rules/customs/traditions
2
a
: successful for a long period of time and widely known
an established author/artist
an established law firm
… people with Ph.D.s have been credentialed by established experts in their fields Louis Menand
b
: growing or flourishing successfully
an established plant
an established flower garden
3
of a church or religion: officially recognized and accepted by the government of a country
Some of the religious groups lasted, but at a price. Their dogma hardened, and they developed organizational structures that are mirror images of established churches. O. B. Hardison, Jr.