association
Americannoun
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associations
plural
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an organization of people with a common purpose and having a formal structure.
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the act of associating or state of being associated.
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friendship; companionship.
Their close association did not last long.
- Synonyms:
- fellowship
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connection or combination.
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the connection or relation of ideas, feelings, sensations, etc.; correlation of elements of perception, reasoning, or the like.
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an idea, image, feeling, etc., suggested by or connected with something other than itself; an accompanying thought, emotion, or the like; an overtone or connotation.
My associations with that painting are of springlike days.
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Ecology. a group of plants of one or more species living together under uniform environmental conditions and having a uniform and distinctive aspect.
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Chemistry. a weak form of chemical bonding involving aggregation of molecules of the same compound.
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Astronomy. stellar association.
noun
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a group of people having a common purpose or interest; a society or club
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the act of associating or the state of being associated
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friendship or companionship
their association will not last
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a mental connection of ideas, feelings, or sensations
association of revolution with bloodshed
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psychol the mental process of linking ideas so that the recurrence of one idea automatically recalls the other See also free association
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chem the formation of groups of molecules and ions, esp in liquids, held together by weak chemical bonds
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ecology a group of similar plants that grow in a uniform environment and contain one or more dominant species
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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interassociationnoun
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nonassociationnoun
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reassociationnoun
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subassociationnoun
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associationaladjective
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nonassociationaladjective
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proassociationadjective
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pseudoassociationaladjective
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subassociationaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of association
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French, from Medieval Latin associātiōn-, stem of associātiō “accompaniment, unification”; equivalent to associate + -ion
Explanation
Association has to do with things that are together, whether in a formal group like the National Basketball Association or just two things that are related, like the association between dogs and parks. Any time people or things are connected, there are associations. The National Basketball Association is an example of the business meaning of association — a formal organization or group that works together. If you ask, "What is your association with Bill?" That just means, "How are you connected to Bill?" You can also make mental associations — you might make an association between the smell of fresh bread and your grandmother's kitchen, for example.
Vocabulary lists containing association
Working Together: The Language of Unions
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Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)
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Catching Fire
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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:
“Californians need more energy choices that put downward pressure on their electricity costs, not more barriers standing in the way,” said Brandon Garcia, California director at Advanced Energy United, a national energy industry association.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
The results are consistent with several earlier studies involving a previous shingles vaccine that also found an association between shingles vaccination and a reduced risk of dementia.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
Leeuwarden mayor Foort van Oosten also condemned the incident and promised an investigation, while the Dutch football association said it would revisit its protocols for incidents of disorder.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Those within Walter’s orbit considered Moore, who has worked for three different Walter businesses in his 18-year association with the billionaire, the details man and executor on the loans, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
“It’s a good thing the association admitted I’m an andy; otherwise you’d probably have gone mad when you caught sight of Pris Stratton. Or thought she was me.”
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Currently, some 39 state bankers associations representing about 3,000 banks are involved in the effort.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Their associations with the gut microbiome were comparable to those seen with broad-spectrum antibiotics.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
European football's governing body has since said it has lost confidence in Infantino, while the football associations of all the home nations have withdrawn support for the 56-year-old Swiss.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
But mining associations filed suit, claiming that the standards set by the government to measure compliance are too stringent.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
The UDF soon blossomed into a powerful organization that united over six hundred anti-apartheid organizations — trade unions, community groups, church groups, student associations.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
