associate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to connect or bring into relation, as thought, feeling, memory, etc..
Many people associate dark clouds with depression and gloom.
- Antonyms:
- distinguish
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to join as a companion, partner, or ally.
to associate oneself with a cause.
-
to unite; combine.
coal associated with shale.
verb (used without object)
-
to enter into union; unite.
-
to keep company, as a friend, companion, or ally.
He was accused of associating with known criminals.
-
to join together as partners or colleagues.
noun
-
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
-
a companion or comrade.
my most intimate associates.
- Antonyms:
- adversary
-
a confederate; an accomplice or ally.
criminal associates.
- Antonyms:
- adversary
-
anything usually accompanying or associated with another; an accompaniment or concomitant.
-
a person who is admitted to a subordinate degree of membership in an association or institution.
an associate of the Royal Academy.
adjective
-
connected, joined, or related, especially as a companion or colleague; having equal or nearly equal responsibility.
an associate partner.
-
having subordinate status; without full rights and privileges.
an associate member.
verb
-
(tr) to link or connect in the mind or imagination
to associate Christmas with fun
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(intr) to keep company; mix socially
to associate with writers
-
(intr) to form or join an association, group, etc
-
(tr; usually passive) to consider in conjunction; connect
rainfall is associated with humidity
-
(tr) to bring (a person, esp oneself) into friendship, partnership, etc
-
(tr; often passive) to express agreement or allow oneself to be connected (with)
Bertrand Russell was associated with the peace movement
noun
-
a person joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; partner; colleague
-
a companion or friend
-
something that usually accompanies another thing; concomitant
hope is an associate to happiness
-
a person having a subordinate position in or admitted to only partial membership of an institution, association, etc
adjective
-
joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; having equal or nearly equal status
an associate director
-
having partial rights and privileges or subordinate status
an associate member
-
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
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associateshipnoun
-
associatornoun
-
superassociatenoun
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reassociateverb
-
associableadjective
-
associatoryadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
associatesimple
-
associatessimple
-
have associatedperfect
-
has associatedperfect
-
am associatingprogressive
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are associatingprogressive
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is associatingprogressive
-
have been associatingperfect progressive
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has been associatingperfect progressive
Past
-
associatedsimple
-
had associatedperfect
-
was associatingprogressive
-
were associatingprogressive
-
had been associatingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing associate
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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50 Words from Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice"
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Workshop 1, Part 1
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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.
See Examples For:
Jonathan Gienapp, Stanford associate professor of history and law, stressed there are reasons for education beyond making money.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Ph.D., senior author, an associate research professor and clinical veterinarian at FAU Harbor Branch.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Mr. Clifford is a former business associate of imprisoned newsman Jimmy Lai and author of a Lai biography, “The Troublemaker.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
While Cassie Newland, RAU associate professor of cultural heritage, said it will "unlock" valuable information for international study.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
I honestly can’t remember much else about those years except a certain mood that permeated most of them, a melancholy feeling that I associate with watching “The Wonderful World of Disney” on Sunday nights.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Ruemmler has told people she wasn’t unusually close to Epstein because she sent him many emails and accepted gifts, adding that was how she acted with many business associates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
The source told AFP that "close associates" who have known the cardinal for years reported similar behaviour when he was a missionary in South America.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
With key associates, they built the nation’s foremost cable TV service — then the entertainment gateway — and grew stronger by offering internet, phone and then wireless service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Rarely do these women ever get the chance to shine on their own without interference from their associates.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
Papi did two years at a community college and is proud of his associates degree.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
The end-Triassic mass extinction struck about 201 million years ago and has been tied to enormous volcanic eruptions associated with the break-up of Pangea.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
“The ticket target has been set to cover all of the associated costs, so it’s unlikely there will be much left over,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
It said it had also disabled data services for about 2,500 phone numbers associated with them.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Researchers found no adverse effects associated with the treatment.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Cats naturally sleep a lot, but excessive rest can be a sign of illness....Other symptoms associated with causes of lethargy include: diarrhea, jaundice, difficulty breathing, hair loss...”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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
A big part of that stigma, Ambrose believes, is the unfortunate proliferation of associating breast cancer with the color pink.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
After their connections became public, many said they regretted associating with Epstein and some have stepped down from their roles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026
“I think it gets pretty bad — and a little bit worse every day,” responded Karp, who has expressed regret for associating with Epstein.
From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2026
Others he cultivated for their genuine capabilities on the screen, and for the sense of aggrandizement that he derived from associating with them.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.