An association is an official group of people who have the same job, aim, or interest.
...the Association of British Travel Agents.
Research associations are often linked to a particular industry.
2. See also housing association
3. countable noun
Your associationwith a person or a thing such as an organization is the connection that you have withthem.
...the company's six-year association with retailer J.C. Penney Co. [+ with]
Blyth's association with the sea began in 1966.
The association between the two companies stretches back thirty years.
Synonyms: friendship, relationship, link, tie More Synonyms of association
4. countable noun [usually plural]
If something has particular associations for you, it is connected in your mind with a particular memory, idea, or feeling.
He has a shelf full of things, each of which has associations for him. [+ for]
Black was considered inappropriate because of its associations with death.
5.
See in association with
6.
See in association with
More Synonyms of association
association in British English
(əˌsəʊsɪˈeɪʃən, -ʃɪ-)
noun
1.
a group of people having a common purpose or interest; a society or club
2.
the act of associating or the state of being associated
3.
friendship or companionship
their association will not last
4.
a mental connection of ideas, feelings, or sensations
association of revolution with bloodshed
5. psychology
the mental process of linking ideas so that the recurrence of one idea automatically recalls the other
See also free association
6. chemistry
the formation of groups of molecules and ions, esp in liquids, held together by weak chemical bonds
7. ecology
a group of similar plants that grow in a uniform environment and contain one or more dominant species
association in American English
(əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən; əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən)
noun
1.
the act of associating
2.
the state of being associated; companionship; fellowship; partnership
3.
an organization of persons having common interests, purposes, etc.; society; league
4.
a connection in the mind between ideas, sensations, memories, etc.
5.
the use of such connections as a literary device or psychoanalytic technique
6.
a group of organisms living together in the same environment and forming a large, distinct component of a biome
an oak forest association within a deciduous forest biome
7. Chemistry
the joining by relatively weak chemical bonds of two or more molecules of the same or different substancesinto a larger aggregate, as in polymerization
Derived forms
associational (asˌsociˈational)
adjective
Word origin
ML associatio, a joining with: see associate
COBUILD Collocations
association
member association
Examples of 'association' in a sentence
association
The company is looking at partnerships with retailers, housing associations and utility companies.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We prefer the quick fix to the free association of ideas.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
We were only one of many groups and associations who came out.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Yet his association with the club has paid off in the long run.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Is there a relevant trade association for this industry?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
All democratic associations or groups were outlawed.
Hebblethwaite, Peter Paul VI - The First Modern Pope (1993)
The association wants more people to consider apprenticeships as an alternative to university.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But will they if they think their clubs or associations actually do not care?
The Sun (2014)
We must have a full declaration of his interests and associations while in Brussels.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
When we involve our feelings and associations in our deliberations, these obscure our real thoughts.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This general association between a company 's size and its commitment to research is not absolute.
Yearley, Steven Science, Technology, and Social Change (1988)
The firm in question doesn't belong to any industry association or regulator.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The trust's other charges offer a range of delights and interesting associations.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The proximity of these three perhaps explains why smell is a more powerful trigger of feelings and associations than any of the senses.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The trial has provoked protest from journalists' associations and rights groups.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
His association with the club goes back 17 years!
The Sun (2009)
Most manufacturing firms are subsidiaries, without the autonomy necessary to contribute to industry associations or local networks.
Hirst, Paul After Thatcher (1989)
This could mean councils making loans to housing associations or going back into the sector themselves, reviving the council house.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
A leadership contest can be triggered if 75 local associations demand one.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He also had a long association with a company making ties, which gave him a poor opinion of the dress sense of the modern footballer.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It is a good discipline to keep looking at new plants, new ideas, new associations to see how they might fit into your garden.
Bloom, Adrian Winter Garden Glory (1993)
In other languages
association
British English: association /əˌsəʊsɪˈeɪʃən; -ʃɪ-/ NOUN
An association is an official group of people who have the same occupation, aim, or interest.
...the British Astronomical Association.
American English: association
Arabic: جَمْعِيَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: associação
Chinese: 协会
Croatian: udruženje
Czech: sdružení
Danish: forening
Dutch: vereniging
European Spanish: asociación
Finnish: yhdistys
French: association
German: Verband Verein
Greek: συνεργασία
Italian: associazione
Japanese: 協会
Korean: 협회
Norwegian: forening
Polish: stowarzyszenie
European Portuguese: associação
Romanian: asociație
Russian: общество
Latin American Spanish: asociación
Swedish: association
Thai: กลุ่ม สมาคม
Turkish: birlik dernek
Ukrainian: асоціація
Vietnamese: hiệp hội
All related terms of 'association'
association law
any law governing the association of ideas
block association
an association for the residents of a particular block in a neighbourhood to discuss and act on matters of common concern
clang association
the association made between two words because they sound similar; for example cling and ring
free association
a method of exploring a person's unconscious by eliciting words and thoughts that are associated with key words provided by a psychoanalyst
member association
An association is an official group of people who have the same job, aim , or interest.
Press Association
→ the Press Association
Scout Association
→ the Scout Association
staff association
an association of employees that performs some of the functions of a trade union, such as representing its members in discussions with the management , and may also have other social and professional purposes
trade association
A trade association is a body representing organizations within the same trade. It aims to protect their collective interests, especially in negotiations with governments and trade unions.
word association
an early method of psychoanalysis in which the patient thinks of the first word that comes into consciousness on hearing a given word. In this way it was claimed that aspects of the unconscious could be revealed before defence mechanisms intervene
association football
soccer
benefit association
an association of people who pay regular dues or other sums in return for old-age pensions , sickness benefits , etc
community association
(in Britain) an organization of people and groups working for the common good of a neighbourhood , usually operating under a written constitution registered with the Charity Commissioners
Consumers' Association
→ the Consumers' Association
employee association
an organization, other than a trade union , whose members comprise employees of a single employing organization. The aims of the association may be social, recreational , or professional
employers' association
a body of employers , usually from the same sector of the economy , associated to further the interests of member companies by conducting negotiations with trade unions, providing advice , making representations to other bodies, etc
housing association
A housing association is an organization which owns houses and helps its members to rent or buy them more cheaply than on the open market .
residents association
A residents ' association is an organization of people who live in a particular area. Residents' associations have meetings and take action to make the area more pleasant to live in.
stellar association
a sparsely populated group of between 10 and 1000 young stars of similar spectral type and common origin that are moving too fast to form a permanent , gravitationally bound system
tenants' association
an organization of tenants , usually with a written constitution and charitable status , whose aim is to improve the housing conditions, amenities , community life, and contractual positions of its members
voluntary association
a group of individuals joined together on the basis of mutual interest or common objectives , esp. a business group that is not organized or constituted as a legal entity
in association with
If you do something in association with someone else, you do it together .
professional association
a body of persons engaged in the same profession , formed usually to control entry into the profession, maintain standards, and represent the profession in discussions with other bodies
sovereignty association
(in Canada) a proposed arrangement by which Quebec would become independent but would maintain a formal association with Canada
the Press Association
the national news agency for the United Kingdom and Ireland
the Scout Association
a worldwide movement for boys or (in some countries) girls , founded as the Boy Scouts in England in 1908 by Lord Baden-Powell with the aim of developing character and responsibility
word-association test
a psychological test in which the person being tested responds to a given word with the first word (or the first word in a specified category , such as an antonym ) brought to mind
articles of association
the constitution and regulations of a registered company as required by the British Companies Acts
memoranda of association
a document giving details such as the company's name, the purpose of the company, and the address of its registered office that is legally required when incorporating a company in certain countries such as the UK
World Boxing Association
the international organization which regulates the sport of boxing
Actors' Equity Association
the actors ' trade union
memorandum of association
a document giving details such as the company's name, the purpose of the company, and the address of its registered office that is legally required when incorporating a company in certain countries such as the UK
memorandums of association
a document giving details such as the company's name, the purpose of the company, and the address of its registered office that is legally required when incorporating a company in certain countries such as the UK
National Rifle Association
a lobbying organization which advocates the right to own and use firearms
parent teacher association
A parent-teacher association is the same as a → PTA .
the Consumers' Association
a British organization which assesses and reports on new products and defends consumers ' rights
Ulster Defence Association
(in Northern Ireland) a Loyalist paramilitary organization
American Standards Association
a body that accredits standards for products in the US
British Association screw thread
a system of screw sizes designated from 0 to 25. Now superseded by standard metric sizes
building and loan association
(in the UK) a cooperative organization that accepts deposits of money from savers and uses them to make loans , secured by mortgages , to house buyers . Since 1986 they have been empowered to offer banking services
European Free Trade Association
European Free Trade Association ; established in 1960 to eliminate trade tariffs on industrial products; now comprises Norway , Switzerland , Iceland , and Liechtenstein . Free trade was established between EFTA and the EC (now EU) in 1984. In 1994 EFTA ( excluding Switzerland) and the EU together created the European Economic Area (EEA)
International Development Association
an organization set up in 1960 to provide low-interest loans to developing countries. It is part of the World Bank Group
Professional Golfers' Association
an association representing the interests of male professional golfers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
savings and loan association
a depositor-owned organization that solicits savings to be placed in saving accounts or in share accounts, on which interest or dividends are paid, and from which mortgage loans on homes or real estate are made
Workers' Educational Association
a charitable organization providing adult community education
soccer
Soccer is a game played by two teams of eleven players using a round ball. Players kick the ball to each other and try to score goals by kicking the ball into a large net . Outside the USA, this game is also referred to as → football .
International Workingmen's Association
an association of socialists and labour leaders founded in London in 1864 and dissolved in Philadelphia in 1876
Pioneer Total Abstinence Association
an organization devoted to abstention from alcoholic drink
Young Men's Christian Association
an international organization that provides sports activities and accommodation for young men
Young Women's Christian Association
an international women's organization that works for the rights and interests of women
Chinese translation of 'association'
association
(əsəusɪˈeɪʃən)
n
(c) (= group) 协(協)会(會) (xiéhuì) (个(個), gè)
to have associations (with sth/for sb) (= mental connection) 有(对(對)某事/某人的)联(聯)想 (yǒu (duì mǒushì/mǒurén de) liánxiǎng) (种(種), zhǒng)
(c/u) (= involvement, link)
association (with sb/sth)(同某人/某物的)联(聯)系(繫) ((tóng mǒurén/mǒuwù de) liánxì) (个(個), gè)
in association with (= in collaboration with) 与(與) ... 联(聯)合 (yǔ ... liánhé)
All related terms of 'association'
in association with
( in collaboration with ) 与(與) ... 联(聯)合 yǔ ... liánhé
savings and loan association
房屋储(儲)蓄借贷(貸)联(聯)合会(會) fángwū chǔxù jièdài liánhéhuì [ 英 = building society ]
AA
Automobile Association 汽车(車)协(協)会(會) Qìchē xiéhuì [ 家 jiā ]
NBA
National Basketball Association 全国(國)篮(籃)球协(協)会(會) Quánguó Lánqiú Xiéhuì
YMCA
( hostel ) Young Men's Christian Association 由基督教青年会运营的供男子住宿的旅馆
YWCA
( hostel ) Young Women's Christian Association 由基督教青年会运营的供女子住宿的旅馆
ASEAN
Association of South-East Asian Nations 东(東)盟 Dōngméng