What does "association" mean?
The act of associating.
Association
/əˌsəʊʃiˈeɪʃn̩/ noun
noun ·Very common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of associating.
- Grammar: association is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: connection, aar, academic affiliation, academic relationship.
- Useful contrasts: by oneself, chaos, disassociating.
- Usage evidence: The association is still a far cry from being well organized.
How to use "association"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "association" 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 "association" 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 "association" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "association" 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 "association" is acting as noun 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 "connection" 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 "association", 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 The act of associating. uncountable
"And it is a characteristic of man that he alone has any sense of good and evil, of just and unjust, and the like, and the association of living beings who have this sense makes a family and a state."
- 2 the act of consorting with or joining with others wordnet
- 3 The state of being associated; a connection to or an affiliation with something. countable
""Well," exclaimed Lady Marchmont, breathing the perfume with which a honeysuckle, wound around an old ash, filled the air, "I do confess that I like common flowers better than any. The hothouse plant has no associations.""
- 4 the process of bringing ideas or events together in memory or imagination wordnet
- 5 Any relationship between two measured quantities that renders them statistically dependent (but not necessarily causal or a correlation). countable, uncountable
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 (ecology) a group of organisms (plants and animals) that live together in a certain geographical region and constitute a community with a few dominant species wordnet
- 7 A group of persons associated for a common purpose; an organization; society. countable, uncountable
- 8 a formal organization of people or groups of people wordnet
- 9 Relationship between classes of objects that allows one object instance to cause another to perform an action on its behalf. countable, uncountable
- 10 (chemistry) any process of combination (especially in solution) that depends on relatively weak chemical bonding wordnet
- 11 A benevolent overseas Chinese organization of popular origin for overseas Chinese individuals with the same surname, geographical origin, location, trade or business. Philippines, countable, uncountable
- 12 a relation resulting from interaction or dependence wordnet
- 13 a social or business relationship wordnet
- 14 the state of being connected together as in memory or imagination wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The association is still a far cry from being well organized."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "association"?
Common synonyms include: connection, aar, academic affiliation, academic relationship, accompaniment, accord.
How do you use "association" in a sentence?
The association is still a far cry from being well organized.
How do you pronounce "association"?
Pronounced /əˌsəʊʃiˈeɪʃn̩/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *sokʷéh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ṓy Proto-Indo-European *sokʷh₂ṓy Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Indo-European *sokʷyós Proto-Italic *sokjos Latin sokios Latin socius Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin sociō Latin associō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin associātiōbor. English association From Latin associātiō, from associō (perhaps via French association). Morphologically associate + -ion. The Philippine sense is a calque of Spanish gremio.