Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense associates, present participle associating, past tense, past participle associatedpronunciation note: The verb is pronounced (əsoʊsieɪt). The noun and adjective are pronounced (əsoʊsiət).
1. verb
If you associate someone or something with another thing, the two are connected in your mind.
Through science we've got the idea of associating progress with the future. [VERB noun + with]
Groups have been barred from events because they are associated with vandalism. [VERB noun with noun]
Synonyms: connect, couple, league, link More Synonyms of associate
2. verb
If you are associated with a particular organization, cause, or point of view, or if you associateyourself with it, you support it publicly.
I haven't been associated with the project over the last year. [beVERB-ed + with]
The party feels the need to associate itself with the green movement. [VERB pronoun-reflexive + with]
Synonyms: affiliate, unite, join, link More Synonyms of associate
3. verb
If you say that someone is associating with another person or group of people, you mean they are spending a lot of time in the company of people you do not approve of.
What would they think if they knew that they were associating with a murderer? [VERB + with]
Synonyms: socialize, mix, hang [informal, mainly US], accompany More Synonyms of associate
4. countable noun [oft noun NOUN]
Your associates are the people you are closely connected with, especially at work.
...the restaurant owner's business associates.
Synonyms: partner, friend, ally, colleague More Synonyms of associate
5. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Associate is used before a rank or title to indicate a slightly different or lower rank or title.
Mr Lin is associate director of the Institute.
She applied for associate membership last year.
...an associate professor of political science.
associate in British English
verb (əˈsəʊʃɪˌeɪt, -sɪ-)(usually foll by with)
1. (transitive)
to link or connect in the mind or imagination
to associate Christmas with fun
2. (intransitive)
to keep company; mix socially
to associate with writers
3. (intransitive)
to form or join an association, group, etc
4. (tr; usually passive)
to consider in conjunction; connect
rainfall is associated with humidity
5. (transitive)
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
noun (əˈsəʊʃɪɪt, -ˌeɪt, -sɪ-)
7.
a person joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; partner; colleague
8.
a companion or friend
9.
something that usually accompanies another thing; concomitant
hope is an associate to happiness
10.
a person having a subordinate position in or admitted to only partial membership of an institution, association, etc
adjective (əˈsəʊʃɪɪt, -ˌeɪt, -sɪ-)(prenominal)
11.
joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; having equal or nearly equal status
an associate director
12.
having partial rights and privileges or subordinate status
an associate member
13.
accompanying; concomitant
Derived forms
associable (asˈsociable)
adjective
associator (asˈsociˌator)
noun
associatory (asˈsociatory)
adjective
associateship (asˈsociateˌship)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Latin associāre to ally with, from sociāre to join, from socius an ally
associate in American English
(əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪt; əˈsoʊsiˌeɪt; for n. & adj., əˈsoʊʃɪt; əˈsoʊʃiɪt)
verb transitiveWord forms: asˈsociˌated or asˈsociˌating
1.
to join together; connect; combine
2.
to bring (a person) into relationship with oneself or another as companion, partner, friend, etc.
3.
to connect in the mind
to associate rain with grief
verb intransitive
4.
to join (with another or others) as a companion, partner, friend, etc.
5.
to join together; unite
noun
6.
a person with whom one is associated; friend, partner, fellow worker, etc.
7.
a member of less than full status, as of a society, institute, etc.
8.
anything joined with another thing or things
9. US
a degree or certificate granted by a junior college to those who have completed the regular two-year course
an Associate in (or of) Arts
adjective
10.
joined with others in some venture, work, etc.
an associate justice
11.
having less than full status
an associate membership
12.
accompanying; connected
SIMILAR WORDS: join
SYNONYMY NOTE: associate refers to a person who is frequently in one's company, usually because of sharedwork [business associates]; colleague denotes a co-worker, esp. in one of the professions, and may or may not imply a personalrelationship [her colleagues at the university]; companion1 always refers to a person who actually accompanies one and usually implies a close,personal relationship [a dinner companion, the companions of one's youth]; comrade refers to a close associate and implies a sharing in activities and fortunes [comrades in arms]; ally now usually refers to a government joined with another or others in a common pursuit,esp. war; a , confederate is one who joins with another or others for some common purpose, esp. in some unlawfulact; an , accomplice is one who unites with another or others in an unlawful act
Word origin
< L associatus, pp. of associare, join to < ad-, to + sociare, unite with < socius, companion: see social
Examples of 'associate' in a sentence
associate
Arthur Briggs had arranged to meet him at 7:30 so they would have time to talk before Briggs's associate arrived.
Phillip Margolin THE ASSOCIATE (2001)
In other languages
associate
British English: associate /əˈsəʊʃɪɪt/ ADJECTIVE
Associate is used before a rank or title to indicate a slightly different or lower rank or title.
spend time If you say that someone is associating with another person or group of people, you mean they are spending a lot of time in the company of people you do not approve of.
What would they think if they knew that they were associating with a criminal?
American English: associate
Brazilian Portuguese: associar
Chinese: 与某个或某群人 混在一起
European Spanish: relacionar con
French: frayer
German: verkehren mit
Italian: frequentare
Japanese: 交際する
Korean: >어울려 다니다좋지 않은 사람들과
European Portuguese: associar
Latin American Spanish: relacionar con
British English: associate VERB
connect If you associate someone or something with another thing, the two are connected in your mind.
Through science we've got the idea of associating progress with the future.
American English: associate
Brazilian Portuguese: associar
Chinese: 将 …和… 联系起来
European Spanish: asociar
French: associer
German: in Verbindung bringen
Italian: associare
Japanese: 連想する
Korean: 연상하다
European Portuguese: associar
Latin American Spanish: asociar
All related terms of 'associate'
free-associate
to engage in free association
sales associate
A sales associate is someone who sells goods or services in a store , often stationed behind a counter .
associate degree
An associate degree is a college degree that is awarded to a student who has completed a two-year course of study.
associate director
a person who is joined with one or more other directors in an enterprise , business, etc, having equal or nearly equal status
associate member
a person who is a member of a club , organization etc. but has only partial rights and privileges or subordinate status
associate professor
(in the US and Canada ) a university teacher lower in rank than a full professor but higher than an assistant professor
junior sales associate
A junior sales associate is an inexperienced member of the sales staff , usually receiving training or supervised by more experienced staff.
Chinese translation of 'associate'
associate
(vbəˈsəuʃɪeɪt; nəˈsəuʃɪɪt)
vt
(in your thoughts) 联(聯)想 (liánxiǎng)
to be associated with sth和某事有关(關) (hé mǒushì yǒuguān)
vi
to associate with sb和某人交往 (hé mǒurén jiāowǎng)
n(c)
(at work) 同事 (tóngshì) (位, wèi)
to associate o.s. with sth与(與)某物有联(聯)系(繫) (yǔ mǒuwù yǒu liánxì)
associate member准(準)成员(員) (zhǔn chéngyuán)
associate director副主管 (fù zhǔguǎn) (名, míng)
1 (verb)
Definition
to connect in the mind
We've got the idea of associating progress with the future.
Synonyms
connect
Connect the machine to the mains.
couple
league
link
the Channel Tunnel linking Britain and France
mix
relate
pair
ally
identify
unite
join
The opened link is used to join the two ends of the chain.
combine
Combine the flour with water to make a paste.
Her tale combines a strong storyline with sly humour.
attach
Attach labels to things before you file them away.
affiliate
fasten
Use screws to fasten the shelf to the wall.
correlate
confederate
yoke
They are yoked by money and votes.
affix
Complete the form and affix four tokens.
lump together
cohere
mention in the same breath
conjoin
think of together
Opposites
separate,
distance
,
divorce
,
isolate
,
distinguish
,
detach
,
segregate
,
disconnect
,
dissociate
,
set apart
2 (verb)
I haven't been associated with the project over the last year.
Synonyms
affiliate
Staff associations may not affiliate with outside unions.
All youth groups will have to affiliate to the agency.
unite
They have agreed to unite their efforts to bring peace.
join
link
She was linked to the robbery.
ally
We need to ally economic freedom with personal liberty.
combine
Different states or groups can combine to enlarge their markets.
connect
There is no evidence to connect him to the robberies.
I wouldn't have connected the two events if you hadn't said that.
incorporate
confederate
Ethnic conflicts derived from an ill-managed effort to confederate the country.
band together
People living in a foreign city band together for company.
3 (verb)
Definition
to mix socially
They found out they'd been associating with a criminal.
Synonyms
socialize
They no longer socialized as they used to.
mix
He mixes with people younger than himself.
hang (informal, mainly US)
accompany
hang out (informal)
run around (informal)
mingle
Guests ate and mingled.
be friends
befriend
consort
hang about
hobnob
an opportunity to hobnob with the company's president
fraternize
Executives fraternized with the personnel of other banks.
Opposites
avoid
,
break off
,
part company
,
be alienated
,
be estranged
(noun)
Definition
a companion or friend
the restaurant owner's business associates
Synonyms
partner
They were partners in crime.
friend
I had a long talk with my best friend.
ally
She is a close ally of the Prime Minister.
colleague
Three of my colleagues have been made redundant.
mate (informal)
He celebrated with work mates in the pub.
companion
He has been her constant companion for the last six years.
comrade
Unlike so many of his comrades, he survived the war.
affiliate
collaborator
She was an important collaborator on that novel.
confederate
The conspirators were joined by their confederates.
co-worker
workmate
main man (slang, mainly US)
cobber (Australian, New Zealand, old-fashioned, informal)
He was just acting big in front of his cobbers.
confrère
compeer
E hoa (New Zealand)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of affix
Definition
to attach or fasten
Complete the form and affix four tokens.
Synonyms
attach,
add,
join,
stick on,
bind,
put on,
tag,
glue,
paste,
tack,
fasten,
annex,
append (formal),
subjoin
in the sense of ally
We need to ally economic freedom with personal liberty.
Synonyms
combine,
unite,
join,
link,
marry,
mix,
bond,
associate,
pool,
bind,
connect,
compound,
blend,
integrate,
merge,
put together,
unify,
fuse,
synthesize,
join together,
band together,
meld
in the sense of ally
Definition
a country, person, or group with an agreement to support another
She is a close ally of the Prime Minister.
Synonyms
partner,
friend,
colleague,
associate,
mate (informal),
or blud">blood or blud (British, slang),
accessory,
comrade,
helper,
collaborator,
accomplice,
confederate,
co-worker,
main man (slang, US),
bedfellow,
cobber (Australian, New Zealand, old-fashioned, informal),