association

[ uh-soh-see-ey-shuhn, -shee- ]

/ əˌsoʊ siˈeɪ ʃən, -ʃi- /

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See synonyms for: association / associations on Thesaurus.com

noun

an organization of people with a common purpose and having a formal structure.

the act of associating or state of being associated.

friendship; companionship: Their close association did not last long.

connection or combination.

the connection or relation of ideas, feelings, sensations, etc.; correlation of elements of perception, reasoning, or the like.

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.

Ecology. a group of plants of one or more species living together under uniform environmental conditions and having a uniform and distinctive aspect.

Chemistry. a weak form of chemical bonding involving aggregation of molecules of the same compound.

touch football.

Astronomy. stellar association.

OTHER WORDS FOR association

1 alliance, union; society, company; band.

3 fellowship.

See synonyms for association on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of association

1525–35; (<Middle French ) <Medieval Latin associātiōn- (stem of associātiō). See associate, -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM association

as·so·ci·a·tion·al, adjectivein·ter·as·so·ci·a·tion, nounnon·as·so·ci·a·tion, nounnon·as·so·ci·a·tion·al, adjective

pro·as·so·ci·a·tion, adjectivepseu·do·as·so·ci·a·tion·al, adjectivere·as·so·ci·a·tion, nounsub·as·so·ci·a·tion, nounsub·as·so·ci·a·tion·al, adjective

Words nearby association

Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, associate professor, associate's degree, association, association area, association fiber, association football, associationism, association law

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use association in a sentence

Because the virus affects the respiratory system, researchers have rushed to study the potential association between mortality rates and air pollution.
New Research Shows Disproportionate Rate of Coronavirus Deaths in Polluted Areas|by Lylla Younes, ProPublica, and Sara Sneath|September 11, 2020|ProPublica
The association of cannabis with crimes, and by extension social stigma, is actually an import from the US.
How did marijuana become illegal in India?|Manavi Kapur|September 11, 2020|Quartz
That means creating positive associations by putting it on and taking it off multiple times in a row while giving them treats, and buckling them in during meals and playtime.
The right way to walk your dog|John Kennedy|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
“It’s the parenting groups, the school parents’ associations — people who would never usually talk about vaccines, but now they are absolutely engaged,” Johnson says.
Liberal, Educated … and Anti-Vaxxer: Pandemic Births New Vaccine Doubters|Charu Kasturi|August 25, 2020|Ozy

In a May survey of 3,800 restaurants, the association found that 78% of operators who were selling alcohol to go had brought back laid-off employees, compared to 62% of operators overall.
Number of states allowing to-go cocktails has surged from 2 to 33 during coronavirus|Lee Clifford|August 24, 2020|Fortune
Have you looked around the American Dental Association website for an explanation of how fluoridation actually works?
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
The juxtaposition planted a story of association on websites that touted both men for their talks.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The scheme has been condemned by civil liberties groups and queried by the National Association of Head Teachers.
Britain May Spy on Preschoolers Searching for Potential Jihadis|Nico Hines|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Delta is a Platinum Global Partner, ranking them among the highest-level contributors to the association.
How You Can Help Make a More LGBT-Friendly World||December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And so it is with the St. Louis Rams and the St. Louis Police Officers Association.
The St. Louis Rams Enter the Ferguson Fray|Sally Kohn|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"It is ill-fated;" and Alessandro blamed himself for having forgotten her only association with the name.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
In the meanwhile, Planner grew actually enamoured of the Pantamorphica Association.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Governor Endicott, and other influential men in Massachusetts, formed an association against wearing long hair!
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The Association itself was in the same condition—gone irrecoverably likewise.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Probably this is due to the long association of intellectuality and science with heresy.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway

British Dictionary definitions for association

association

/ (əˌsəʊsɪˈeɪʃən, -ʃɪ-) /

noun

a group of people having a common purpose or interest; a society or club

the act of associating or the state of being associated

friendship or companionshiptheir association will not last

a mental connection of ideas, feelings, or sensationsassociation of revolution with bloodshed

psychol the mental process of linking ideas so that the recurrence of one idea automatically recalls the otherSee also free association

chem the formation of groups of molecules and ions, esp in liquids, held together by weak chemical bonds

ecology a group of similar plants that grow in a uniform environment and contain one or more dominant species

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012