associate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
associates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
associated,
past participle, past
-
associating
present participle
-
to connect or bring into relation, as thought, feeling, memory, etc..
Many people associate dark clouds with depression and gloom.
- Antonyms:
- distinguish
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to join as a companion, partner, or ally.
to associate oneself with a cause.
-
to unite; combine.
coal associated with shale.
verb (used without object)
-
associates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
associated,
past participle, past
-
associating
present participle
-
to enter into union; unite.
-
to keep company, as a friend, companion, or ally.
He was accused of associating with known criminals.
-
to join together as partners or colleagues.
noun
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associates
plural
-
a person who shares actively in anything as a business, enterprise, or undertaking; partner; colleague; fellow worker.
He consulted with his associates before proceeding further.
- Antonyms:
- adversary
-
a companion or comrade.
my most intimate associates.
- Antonyms:
- adversary
-
a confederate; an accomplice or ally.
criminal associates.
- Antonyms:
- adversary
-
anything usually accompanying or associated with another; an accompaniment or concomitant.
-
a person who is admitted to a subordinate degree of membership in an association or institution.
an associate of the Royal Academy.
adjective
-
connected, joined, or related, especially as a companion or colleague; having equal or nearly equal responsibility.
an associate partner.
-
having subordinate status; without full rights and privileges.
an associate member.
verb
-
(tr) to link or connect in the mind or imagination
to associate Christmas with fun
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(intr) to keep company; mix socially
to associate with writers
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(intr) to form or join an association, group, etc
-
(tr; usually passive) to consider in conjunction; connect
rainfall is associated with humidity
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(tr) to bring (a person, esp oneself) into friendship, partnership, etc
-
(tr; often passive) to express agreement or allow oneself to be connected (with)
Bertrand Russell was associated with the peace movement
noun
-
a person joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; partner; colleague
-
a companion or friend
-
something that usually accompanies another thing; concomitant
hope is an associate to happiness
-
a person having a subordinate position in or admitted to only partial membership of an institution, association, etc
adjective
-
joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; having equal or nearly equal status
an associate director
-
having partial rights and privileges or subordinate status
an associate member
-
accompanying; concomitant
Usage
What does associate mean? An associate is a person who shares in business as a partner, stakeholder, or colleague. To associate is to connect or relate multiple things together. The noun form of associate, pronounced uh-soh-shee-it, often refers to a business partner but can also be used more generally to describe a friend or even an acquaintance. Associate is also used to describe more sinister partnerships, such as an accomplice in a crime or a member of a gang or crime organization. The verb form, pronounced uh-soh-shee-eyt, can be used to mean to connect or unite people. When you associate yourself with someone else, you may be working with them, you may be friends or romantic partners, or you may even be a customer. People who are associated will often be discussed in a pair or group. Associate can also mean to connect or relate, as with objects and feelings or memories. For example, you may associate naan with your grandmother who used to make this bread whenever you visited. Or you may associate a favorite book with the memory of a teacher who introduced you to the book. Example: I always associate gingerbread with the holidays, but it’s good all year round.
Synonym Usage
See acquaintance.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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associateshipnoun
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associatornoun
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superassociatenoun
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reassociateverb
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associableadjective
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associatoryadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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associatesimple
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associatessimple
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have associatedperfect
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has associatedperfect
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am associatingprogressive
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are associatingprogressive
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is associatingprogressive
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have been associatingperfect progressive
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has been associatingperfect progressive
Past
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associatedsimple
-
had associatedperfect
-
was associatingprogressive
-
were associatingprogressive
-
had been associatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of associate
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin associātus “joined to, united with” (past participle of associāre ), equivalent to as- as- + soci- ( see social) + -ātus -ate 1; compare Anglo-French associer (verb), associé (noun)
Explanation
As a verb, associate can mean to make a connection between things or concepts. You might associate the smell of lemons with summer memories of selling lemonade. Or, with polishing your furniture with Lemon Pledge. As a noun, in employment, an associate is someone who is in a junior position. You might hear about associates at law firms, hoping to make partner one day. However, some companies also use associate to mean any employee, regardless of rank or seniority. The noun associate can also mean a friend or someone you keep company with. And, as a verb, associate can also mean to keep company with — like when you were associating with activists at the protest march.
Vocabulary lists containing associate
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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50 Words from Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice"
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Workshop 1, Part 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Satizabal is co-senior author of the study with Chen-Pin Wang, PhD, associate professor-research in the Department of Population Health Sciences.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Dr Amy Grubb, associate professor of forensic psychology at the University, said posting comments online creates the "perfect storm" for abuse as the "digital environments reduce normal social restraints".
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Ms. Moinian is an associate fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of “Narratives of Grievance in Iranian Foreign Policy,” forthcoming in September 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
During an interview with MarketWatch, Robotti and Theo van der Meer, a senior investment associate with the firm, discussed three stocks they favor among companies producing, selling or servicing hard assets.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
And the girls I associate with are very sophisticated in ways that you simply can’t learn from a magazine.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
His friends had called; his business associates had called.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
After training store associates on new best practices, the company turned to AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
"Our result was positively impacted by ongoing underlying demand for Cathay Pacific and Cathay Cargo, improved performance from HK Express, and stronger contributions from associates," the chair Guy Bradley said in its earnings report.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
“I am no stranger to loss, but this is so incredibly tough, and my heart also goes out to all of the associates and customers who were there during this traumatic event.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
“It becomes difficult to tell the difference between old friends and business associates in cases like ours, I think,” Tara says.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
The University of California, Irvine, a major beneficiary of the 340B program, in 2024 acquired four hospitals and their associated outpatient clinics from the for-profit Tenet Healthcare.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The analysis found that engaging in any physical activity, rather than living a sedentary lifestyle, was particularly associated with slower cognitive decline among Mexican Americans.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Federal authorities are investigating billions in related-party loans made by two insurers owned by Mark Walter reportedly to entities associated with him or his holding company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
"We're responsible for their medical treatment, whether they do get treatment or they don't get treatment," Ficker says, "so there's often a lot of guilt associated with that - and that's normal."
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
A fortress since Roman times, it was an honored historic site associated with French military glories and national pride.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
As a historian who had come across the Church of England's links to slavery as a student, for many years Mallett had long been conflicted about associating with the institution.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Botstein has previously apologized for associating with Epstein, said he was unaware of the extent of his behavior and said he met with him to fundraise for the school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
“As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026
“I think it gets pretty bad — and a little bit worse every day,” responded Karp, who has expressed regret for associating with Epstein.
From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2026
“But I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to contact strangers. No telling who your mother has been associating with. CPS will help us find her.”
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
