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

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

associate associates associated associating

When people think about Rod Serling and his influence on TV, they basically associate him with genre television like “Lost.”

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026

"Once the public has stopped trusting you, it's kind of a downward spiral," says associate professor Alison Taylor of New York University's Stern School of Business.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The junta established under N'Tam, a close associate of Embalo, has set December 6 as the date for presidential and legislative elections meant to restore civilian rule.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

Once in the U.S., an associate then distributes the packages inside the carton.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

It’s so odd not to smell the fresh, earthy, nutty smell that I’ve grown to associate with my grandparents.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

ZedPay’s Iranian CEO, Mehdi Rezazadeh, who had a Turkish work permit, held a personal Binance account, as did 10 of his employees and associates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

His next holiday will be a cruise leaving from Southampton, allowing him to avoid the stress he associates with flying.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

The court has also been thrown into disarray as investigations have scrutinized links between several justices, their relatives or associates, and jailed, fraud-accused banker Daniel Vorcaro.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

The 43-year-old tech scion — a film aficionado who has spent two decades building his career in Hollywood — has told associates he doesn’t want to leave L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

My grandfather’s new business associates: in the front seat sits Mabel Reese, twenty-six years old, from Kentucky, face rouged, hair giving off a burnt smell from the morning’s curling iron.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Two of the strongest El Niños in the last 75 years were associated with extensive damage to the Southern California coast, battering homes, flooding streets and damaging piers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

In diabetic wounds, both the number and function of these cells can decline, and this reduction is associated with slower healing.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026

While other AI models were implicated in certain other instances, most known cases were associated with OpenAI’s chatbot, and in particular the GPT-4o model, which was in service from May 2024 until early this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

In her mid-20s, Courtney-Grace was diagnosed with a genetic mutation, which can be inherited and is associated with an increased risk of tumours.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

A compassionate, humane approach to the problems of the urban poor must replace the punitive practices and policies that have multiplied the harms associated with poverty and racial oppression.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Meta, OpenAI and others are associating their AI agents and tools with cute characters to win over skeptics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

Beijing said it consistently abides by international rules and opposes “attempts to smear China by associating it with the conflict.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Hoffman apologized in 2019 for associating with Epstein.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026

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

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

Related Words

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