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
-
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:
While people mainly associate Rathlin Island with puffins, they have returned to the Isle of Muck nature reserve in County Antrim in recent years, after a rat eradication programme.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Maybe I associate too much with loving, devoted parents and not enough with intellectuals who think parents are holding their kids hostage.
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
Critically, the lateral septum shares this information with the dopamine-producing regions we would normally associate with reward.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
What does it symbolize, what could it represent, or what do you associate it with?
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
His friends had called; his business associates had called.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Whatnot has cracked down on fake goods and shill bidding—in which the seller’s associates bid up auctions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
In addition, the State Department said that it was imposing visa restrictions on 65 individuals who are family members or close personal or business associates of CJNG-linked persons.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
PS said in a statement that Gavin de Becker and Associates’ lawsuit is meritless, noting that PS associates go through an eight-week course “covering all technical aspects of the role, including safety & security.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
There on the worn stones of the Quarter I enlisted the aid of this wilted flower of a human in gathering his associates in foppery together behind a banner of brotherhood.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
"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
Bella Ramsey spent many teenage years working with adults so never really went through the moody, rebellious phase often associated with being a teenager.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The French government had promoted the ban as a way to better protect young people from the harmful effects associated with social media platforms, including anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and online harassment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
By keeping the action and themes largely Earthbound and removing the interstellar glamour associated with flying supes and suits, “Lanterns” reignites our consideration of a superhero long written off in the live-action realm.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
In some of the weapons associated with the animals, images of plants have recently been recognized.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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
“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
“Epstein was a master manipulator, and I deeply regret associating with him,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
Others he cultivated for their genuine capabilities on the screen, and for the sense of aggrandizement that he derived from associating with them.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
