associate

American  

[uh-soh-shee-ayt, -see-, uh-soh-shee-it, -ayt, -see-] / əˈsoʊ ʃiˌeɪt, -si-, əˈsoʊ ʃi ɪt, -ˌeɪt, -si- /

verb (used with object)

• associates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• associated,
  past participle,  past
• associating
  present participle

1. to connect or bring into relation, as thought, feeling, memory, etc..

   Many people associate dark clouds with depression and gloom.

   Synonyms:

   relate, couple, connect

   Antonyms:

   distinguish

2. to join as a companion, partner, or ally.

   to associate oneself with a cause.

3. to unite; combine.

   coal associated with shale.

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verb (used without object)

• associates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• associated,
  past participle,  past
• associating
  present participle

1. to enter into union; unite.

2. to keep company, as a friend, companion, or ally.

   He was accused of associating with known criminals.

3. to join together as partners or colleagues.

noun

• associates
  plural

1. 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

2. a companion or comrade.

   my most intimate associates.

   Antonyms:

   adversary

3. a confederate; an accomplice or ally.

   criminal associates.

   Antonyms:

   adversary

4. anything usually accompanying or associated with another; an accompaniment or concomitant.

5. a person who is admitted to a subordinate degree of membership in an association or institution.

   an associate of the Royal Academy.

adjective

1. connected, joined, or related, especially as a companion or colleague; having equal or nearly equal responsibility.

   an associate partner.

2. having subordinate status; without full rights and privileges.

   an associate member.

3. allied; concomitant.

associate British  

verb

1. (tr) to link or connect in the mind or imagination

   to associate Christmas with fun

2. (intr) to keep company; mix socially

   to associate with writers

3. (intr) to form or join an association, group, etc

4. (tr; usually passive) to consider in conjunction; connect

   rainfall is associated with humidity

5. (tr) to bring (a person, esp oneself) into friendship, partnership, etc

6. (tr; often passive) to express agreement or allow oneself to be connected (with)

   Bertrand Russell was associated with the peace movement

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noun

1. a person joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; partner; colleague

2. a companion or friend

3. something that usually accompanies another thing; concomitant

   hope is an associate to happiness

4. a person having a subordinate position in or admitted to only partial membership of an institution, association, etc

adjective

1. joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; having equal or nearly equal status

   an associate director

2. having partial rights and privileges or subordinate status

   an associate member

3. 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

• associateship
  noun
• associator
  noun
• superassociate
  noun
• reassociate
  verb
• associable
  adjective
• associatory
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• associates
  plural

Participles

• associating
  present
• associated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• associate
  simple
• associates
  simple
• have associated
  perfect
• has associated
  perfect
• am associating
  progressive
• are associating
  progressive
• is associating
  progressive
• have been associating
  perfect progressive
• has been associating
  perfect progressive

Past

• associated
  simple
• had associated
  perfect
• was associating
  progressive
• were associating
  progressive
• had been associating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will associate
  simple
• will have associated
  perfect
• will be associating
  progressive
• will have been associating
  perfect progressive

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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)

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

associate associates associated associating

The University of Melbourne's associate head of psychological sciences, Lisa Phillips, said she was not surprised it was a female lawmaker who had been attacked.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026

"The animal experiments allowed us to move beyond association," says co-first author Prabesh Bhattarai, an associate research scientist in the Kizil lab.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

Aaron Garza, 56, a business associate of Salinas, has watched immigration raids hurt business and the community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

Nxum’s partners told a business associate after Hines’s appointment that he would have no role in the company’s crypto-related work because of his new position, according to messages reviewed by the Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

“My ghost won’t associate with your ghost,” Matthias said primly, and then wondered if the sea air was rotting his brain.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Afram later told associates he played poker with DiCaprio and his friends, including actor Lukas Haas, who appeared in the film.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Pavel Prigozhin, now 28, not only salvaged but expanded operations in Wagner’s African stronghold, the Central African Republic, according to former Wagner associates, government officials, business people and researchers in Bangui, the capital city.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

Firms now regularly pay first-year associates salaries of $250,000, up from $190,000 in 2018, in the tussle for the best talent straight out of law school.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

To keep them secret, Abramovich's associates and Meritservus decided to rewrite history.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Only my wife, Betty, and my three girts and a few close associates came with me to Kennedy International Airport.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

By contrast, lowered brows and narrowed eyes were associated with doubt or a lack of confidence.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

“We do not see anyone getting off of our mainframe platform, and therefore the associated mainframe software stack on top of it,” Kavanaugh said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

As a true cave-dwelling animal, it has entirely lost its eyes, with the structures normally associated with vision having fully degenerated.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026

White is often associated with absence or emptiness—we speak of “a blank page.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

He shows no anxiety that science might be associated with unbelief.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Hoffman apologized in 2019 for associating with Epstein.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 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

After their connections became public, many said they regretted associating with Epstein and some have stepped down from their roles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026

Clinton's spokesperson has said the photos are decades old and Clinton had stopped associating with Epstein before his crimes came to light.

From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026

My mother is currently associating with some undesirables who are attempting to transform her into an athlete of sorts, depraved specimens of mankind who regularly bowl their way to oblivion.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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Related Words

• accomplice
• ally
• assistant
• buddy
• co-worker
• cohort
• collaborator
• companion
• comrade
• crony
• fellow
• friend
• partner

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