associative
pertaining to or resulting from association.
tending to associate or unite.
Mathematics, Logic.
(of an operation on a set of elements) giving an equivalent expression when elements are grouped without change of order, as (a + b) + c = a + (b + c).
having reference to this property: associative law of multiplication.
Origin of associative
1Other words from associative
- as·so·ci·a·tive·ly [uh-soh-shee-ey-tiv-lee, -uh-tiv-, -see-], /əˈsoʊ ʃiˌeɪ tɪv li, -ə tɪv-, -si-/, adverb
- as·so·ci·a·tiv·i·ty [uh-soh-shee-uh-tiv-i-tee, -see-, -shuh-tiv-], /əˌsoʊ ʃi əˈtɪv ɪ ti, -si-, -ʃəˈtɪv-/, as·so·ci·a·tive·ness, noun
- non·as·so·ci·a·tive, adjective
- non·as·so·ci·a·tive·ly, adverb
- sub·as·so·ci·a·tive, adjective
- sub·as·so·ci·a·tive·ly, adverb
- un·as·so·ci·a·tive, adjective
- un·as·so·ci·a·tive·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use associative in a sentence
The absence of certain neurotransmitters makes the mind tend toward loose associative drifting during REM sleep, which may explain the often bizarre quality of our dreams during this sleep stage.
It is the only sense that bypasses the thalamus and has almost immediate access to the core cortex—including the hypothalamus, involved in the processing of new memories and associative learning.
What Did the Past Smell Like? - Issue 93: Forerunners | Ann-Sophie Barwich | December 9, 2020 | NautilusAs expected, they scored very highly on the assessment of internal focus, with 23 of the 25 subjects being classified as primarily associative.
It is subjected to certain conditions and, for example, to the rules of commutativity and associativity of addition.
British Dictionary definitions for associative
/ (əˈsəʊʃɪətɪv) /
of, relating to, or causing association or union
maths logic
being independent of the grouping of numbers, symbols, or terms within a given set, as in conjunction or in an expression such as (2 × 3) × 4 = 2 × (3 × 4)
referring to this property: the associative laws of arithmetic
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
Scientific definitions for associative
[ ə-sō′shə-tĭv ]
Of or relating to the property of an operation, such as addition or multiplication, which states that the grouping of numbers undergoing the operation does not change the result. For example, 3 + (4 + 5) is equal to (3 + 4) + 5. See also commutative distributive.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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