What does "associate" mean?
A person united with another or others in an act, enterprise, or business; a partner or employee.
Associate
/əˈsəʊʃieɪt/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person united with another or others in an act, enterprise, or business; a partner or employee.
- Grammar: associate is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: colleague, fellow, abettor, accessory.
- Useful contrasts: disassociated, senior lawyer, unmapped.
- Usage evidence: You had better not associate with those men.
How to use "associate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "associate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "associate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "associate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "associate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "associate" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "colleague" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "associate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person united with another or others in an act, enterprise, or business; a partner or employee.
"Allow me to introduce my business associates, Alice and Bob, who are senior VPs for ops and strategy, respectively."
- 2 An associate's degree. slang
- 3 a degree granted by a two-year college on successful completion of the undergraduates course of studies wordnet
- 4 Somebody with whom one works, coworker, colleague.
- 5 any event that usually accompanies or is closely connected with another wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 A companion; a comrade.
- 7 a person who joins with others in some activity or endeavor wordnet
- 8 One that habitually accompanies or is associated with another; an attendant circumstance.
- 9 a person with subordinate membership in a society, institution, or commercial enterprise wordnet
- 10 A member of an institution or society who is granted only partial status or privileges.
- 11 a friend who is frequently in the company of another wordnet
- 12 One of a pair of elements of an integral domain (or a ring) such that the two elements are divisible by each other (or, equivalently, such that each one can be expressed as the product of the other with a unit).
Verb
- 1 To join in or form a league, union, or association. intransitive
- 2 make a logical or causal connection wordnet
- 3 To spend time socially; keep company. intransitive
"She associates with her coworkers on weekends."
- 4 bring or come into association or action wordnet
- 5 To join as a partner, ally, or friend. transitive
"He associated his name with many environmental causes."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 keep company with; hang out with wordnet
- 7 To connect or join together; combine. transitive
"particles of gold associated with other substances"
- 8 To connect evidentially, or in the mind or imagination. transitive
"I always somehow associate Chatterton with autumn."
- 9 To endorse. reflexive
"Mr. President, I rise to associate myself with the remarks of my senior Senator from Louisiana who has led this fight successfully for many years"
- 10 To be associative.
- 11 To accompany; to be in the company of. obsolete, transitive
"Friends should associate friends in grief and woe"
Adjective
- 1 Joined with another or others and having lower status. not-comparable
"The associate editor is someone who has some experience in editing but not sufficient experience to qualify for a senior post."
- 2 Having partial status or privileges. not-comparable
"He is an associate member of the club."
- 3 Following or accompanying; concomitant. not-comparable
- 4 Connected by habit or sympathy. dated, not-comparable
"associate motions"
Adjective
- 1 having partial rights and privileges or subordinate status wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"You had better not associate with those men."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "associate"?
Common synonyms include: colleague, fellow, abettor, accessory, accompany, accompanying.
How do you use "associate" in a sentence?
You had better not associate with those men.
How do you pronounce "associate"?
Pronounced /əˈsəʊʃieɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English associat(e) (used participially as well as adjectively up to Early Modern English), from Latin associātus, the perfect passive participle of associō (“to join, unite”), from ad- + sociō, from socius (“shared, common, kindred”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix).
Etymology 2
From the substantivization of the above adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.
Etymology 3
From Middle English associat(e) (“associated, allied”) (the verb *associaten is not found in Middle English writings and only attested at a later period), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Doublet of associe.