Is « institution » masculine or feminine?

« institution » is feminine. You say l'institution.

Article forms

With the definite article l'institution
With the indefinite article une institution
With the partitive article de l'institution

Plural

The plural is institutions (les institutions). A noun keeps its gender in the plural; only the article stops showing it.

Why the gender

institution ends in -tion. Nouns ending in -tion are usually feminine, so institution follows the pattern. The full rules by ending cover every common suffix.

Related words

Other common nouns that end the same way:

Common questions

Is « institution » masculine or feminine?

« institution » is feminine. You say l'institution.

« l'institution » hides the gender. Is « institution » masculine or feminine?

It is feminine. The article shortens to « l'institution » for both genders, but you say une institution, not un institution, and adjectives take the feminine form.


Check another word, or read the complete guide to French noun gender.