associate

American  

[uh-soh-shee-eyt, -see-, uh-soh-shee-it, -eyt, -see-] / əˈsoʊ ʃiˌeɪt, -si-, əˈsoʊ ʃi ɪt, -ˌeɪt, -si- /

verb (used with object)

• associates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• associated,
  past participle,  past
• associating
  present participle

1. to connect or bring into relation, as thought, feeling, memory, etc..

   Many people associate dark clouds with depression and gloom.

   Synonyms:

   relate, couple, connect

   Antonyms:

   distinguish

2. to join as a companion, partner, or ally.

   to associate oneself with a cause.

3. to unite; combine.

   coal associated with shale.

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verb (used without object)

• associates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• associated,
  past participle,  past
• associating
  present participle

1. to enter into union; unite.

2. to keep company, as a friend, companion, or ally.

   He was accused of associating with known criminals.

3. to join together as partners or colleagues.

noun

• associates
  plural

1. a person who shares actively in anything as a business, enterprise, or undertaking; partner; colleague; fellow worker.

   He consulted with his associates before proceeding further.

   Antonyms:

   adversary

2. a companion or comrade.

   my most intimate associates.

   Antonyms:

   adversary

3. a confederate; an accomplice or ally.

   criminal associates.

   Antonyms:

   adversary

4. anything usually accompanying or associated with another; an accompaniment or concomitant.

5. a person who is admitted to a subordinate degree of membership in an association or institution.

   an associate of the Royal Academy.

adjective

1. connected, joined, or related, especially as a companion or colleague; having equal or nearly equal responsibility.

   an associate partner.

2. having subordinate status; without full rights and privileges.

   an associate member.

3. allied; concomitant.

associate British  

verb

1. (tr) to link or connect in the mind or imagination

   to associate Christmas with fun

2. (intr) to keep company; mix socially

   to associate with writers

3. (intr) to form or join an association, group, etc

4. (tr; usually passive) to consider in conjunction; connect

   rainfall is associated with humidity

5. (tr) to bring (a person, esp oneself) into friendship, partnership, etc

6. (tr; often passive) to express agreement or allow oneself to be connected (with)

   Bertrand Russell was associated with the peace movement

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noun

1. a person joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; partner; colleague

2. a companion or friend

3. something that usually accompanies another thing; concomitant

   hope is an associate to happiness

4. a person having a subordinate position in or admitted to only partial membership of an institution, association, etc

adjective

1. joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; having equal or nearly equal status

   an associate director

2. having partial rights and privileges or subordinate status

   an associate member

3. accompanying; concomitant

Usage

What does associate mean? An associate is a person who shares in business as a partner, stakeholder, or colleague. To associate is to connect or relate multiple things together. The noun form of associate, pronounced uh-soh-shee-it, often refers to a business partner but can also be used more generally to describe a friend or even an acquaintance. Associate is also used to describe more sinister partnerships, such as an accomplice in a crime or a member of a gang or crime organization. The verb form, pronounced uh-soh-shee-eyt, can be used to mean to connect or unite people. When you associate yourself with someone else, you may be working with them, you may be friends or romantic partners, or you may even be a customer. People who are associated will often be discussed in a pair or group. Associate can also mean to connect or relate, as with objects and feelings or memories. For example, you may associate naan with your grandmother who used to make this bread whenever you visited. Or you may associate a favorite book with the memory of a teacher who introduced you to the book. Example: I always associate gingerbread with the holidays, but it’s good all year round.

Synonym Usage

See acquaintance.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• associateship
  noun
• associator
  noun
• superassociate
  noun
• reassociate
  verb
• associable
  adjective
• associatory
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• associates
  plural

Participles

• associating
  present
• associated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• associate
  simple
• associates
  simple
• have associated
  perfect
• has associated
  perfect
• am associating
  progressive
• are associating
  progressive
• is associating
  progressive
• have been associating
  perfect progressive
• has been associating
  perfect progressive

Past

• associated
  simple
• had associated
  perfect
• was associating
  progressive
• were associating
  progressive
• had been associating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will associate
  simple
• will have associated
  perfect
• will be associating
  progressive
• will have been associating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of associate

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin associātus “joined to, united with” (past participle of associāre ), equivalent to as- as- + soci- ( see social) + -ātus -ate ¹; compare Anglo-French associer (verb), associé (noun)

Explanation

As a verb, associate can mean to make a connection between things or concepts. You might associate the smell of lemons with summer memories of selling lemonade. Or, with polishing your furniture with Lemon Pledge. As a noun, in employment, an associate is someone who is in a junior position. You might hear about associates at law firms, hoping to make partner one day. However, some companies also use associate to mean any employee, regardless of rank or seniority. The noun associate can also mean a friend or someone you keep company with. And, as a verb, associate can also mean to keep company with — like when you were associating with activists at the protest march.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

associate associates associated associating

On June 15, Daniel Haido, an associate producer of “Fortitude,” dropped off an unencrypted copy of the movie for Netflix to view, according to the lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Additional Feinberg co-authors include Suxia Yao, MD, research associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; and Parambir Dulai, MD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

Then, instead of launching another fusillade against Bass, Raman went for something few people associate with L.A. nowadays:

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Being a junior associate allowed him to understand where the industry’s data lives, what practitioners actually care about and where inefficiencies exist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

When McBride checked in to a rooming house in the capital, he found a telegram from an associate waiting for him.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

His friends had called; his business associates had called.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

She noted that associates used to rehearse customer-advising scenarios improv-style with colleagues before the store opened.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

"Our result was positively impacted by ongoing underlying demand for Cathay Pacific and Cathay Cargo, improved performance from HK Express, and stronger contributions from associates," the chair Guy Bradley said in its earnings report.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

PS said in a statement that Gavin de Becker and Associates’ lawsuit is meritless, noting that PS associates go through an eight-week course “covering all technical aspects of the role, including safety & security.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

He seemed to like me and said I should come to Westchester the next week to talk with his associates.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

One challenge facing the Sussexes on their return is that they are once more associated with the Royal Family from which they have tried to stay separate, says Stephen.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

El Niño can be associated with cold spells in the late winter - but the link is not a strong one and the past evidence is mixed.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

The video parodied extreme practices associated with the trend, like “bone smashing for facial symmetry,” before promoting lotion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

As tech has grown as an overwhelming force in our lives, the visual design cornerstones associated with it—arial font, minimalist branding, bright colors and clean lines—have become the norm.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

These fees, costs, and fines are generally quite new—created by law within the past twenty years—and are associated with a wide range of offenses.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

As a historian who had come across the Church of England's links to slavery as a student, for many years Mallett had long been conflicted about associating with the institution.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

Does he fear the risk posed by associating with him?

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

“As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026

Days later, he offered a more direct apology to the victims of the disgraced financier, telling Newsnight he was "wrong" to continue associating with Epstein.

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026

“Has she,” asked the Doctor, with a smile, “has she been associating of late with a circle of pseudo-intellectual women—super-spiritual superior beings? My wife has been telling me about them.”

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

Related Words

• accomplice
• ally
• assistant
• buddy
• co-worker
• cohort
• collaborator
• companion
• comrade
• crony
• fellow
• friend
• partner