disassociate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has disassociatedperfect 3rd person singular
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have disassociatedperfect
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has been disassociatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is disassociatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am disassociatingprogressive 1st person singular
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disassociatessingular 3rd person
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are disassociatingprogressive
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have been disassociatingperfect progressive
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disassociatingparticiple
Past
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had disassociatedperfect
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was disassociatingprogressive singular
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were disassociatingprogressive plural
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had been disassociatingperfect progressive
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disassociatedparticiple
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disassociatedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of disassociate
Explanation
It’s often said that we are the company we keep, so it makes sense to disassociate — or distance ourselves — from people whose behaviors and beliefs we do not wish to be connected to. To disassociate means to separate yourself from a person, group, or idea. For example, if you end a friendship with your long-time buddies because you value honesty and they do not, you are disassociating from them. This term often indicates an intentional effort to distance oneself from certain people, organizations, beliefs, or behaviors that are no longer acceptable to you so that you are no longer associated with them.
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.
In trying to disassociate herself from the scandal, Melania’s lack of acknowledgment of her husband’s ties to Epstein stands out as a confusing, but increasingly familiar, bit of cognitive dissonance.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
Another police officer, Richard Scott, who helped gather the bodies of those killed, told the inquiry he binned his blood-soaked clothing after his shift to try to "disassociate from the scene".
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2025
Honestly, I was just trying to be in the moment and not disassociate, which I’ve done in the past in scenes like that.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2024
Is it hard for people to disassociate you from the character of Frasier Crane?
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2023
The boys from the neighboring room flinched and took a quick step backward, trying to disassociate themselves.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
