dissociate

[dih-soh-shee-eyt, -see-]

See more synonyms for dissociate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), dis·so·ci·at·ed, dis·so·ci·at·ing.

to sever the association of (oneself); separate: He tried to dissociate himself from the bigotry in his past.
to subject to dissociation.

verb (used without object), dis·so·ci·at·ed, dis·so·ci·at·ing.

to withdraw from association.
to undergo dissociation.

Origin of dissociate

1605–15; dis-¹ + (as)sociate, modeled on Latin dissociātus, past participle of dissociāre to divide, sever

Related formsdis·so·ci·a·tive, adjective

Can be confuseddisassociate dissociate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for dissociate

disengage, detach, disconnect, disband, alienate, quit, divide, disassociate, distance, divorce, abstract, disjoin, isolate, segregate, uncouple, disperse, disunite, disrupt, scatter, estrange

Examples from the Web for dissociate

Contemporary Examples of dissociate

He could mimic printed text with alarming accuracy and dissociate the shapes and lines from their inherent meanings.
The Accidental Artist
Rachel Wolff
October 15, 2009

Historical Examples of dissociate

That is, theoretically we may ascribe them to God, but practically we dissociate Him from them.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
You have just seen me untie the knot, dissociate the electrons, or what you will.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November, 1930
Various
In a word, animals can invent according to the extent that they can dissociate.
Essay on the Creative Imagination
Th. Ribot
From that lack of confidence he would like at once to dissociate himself.
Five Tales
John Galsworthy
It is true, he has renounced that folly; but it is not so easy to dissociate him from the recollection.
Gryll Grange
Thomas Love Peacock

British Dictionary definitions for dissociate

dissociate

verb

to break or cause to break the association between (people, organizations, etc)
(tr) to regard or treat as separate or unconnected
to undergo or subject to dissociation

Derived Formsdissociative, adjective

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

Word Origin and History for dissociate

1610s (implied in dissociated), from Latin dissociatus, past participle of dissociare "to separate from companionship, disunite, set at variance," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + sociare "to join," from socius "companion" (see social (adj.)). Attested from 1540s as a past participle adjective meaning "separated."