dissociate
verb
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Dissociate and its synonymous sibling disassociate can each mean "to separate from association or union with another." Both trace back to the Latin verb sociare, meaning "to join," which comes in turn from socius, a noun meaning "companion." (Socius is associated with many English words, including social and society.) Dis- in this case means "do the opposite of," so both dissociate and disassociate indicate severing that which is united. Some argue that disassociate is illogical because it indicates separating and uniting simultaneously. Dissociate is also preferred by some because it is shorter (and by a grand total of two letters) but both words are in current good use.
Examples of dissociate in a Sentence
Hec Paris Insights, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
The servings come from the ether, a bottomless well of mushy, purposeless, dissociated slop.
—Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 19 May 2025
These behaviors have become dissociated from the gonads.
—Donna L. Maney, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025
The Ratliff family is on the brink of financial ruin as Jason Isaacs’ patriarch Timothy holds out from telling his wife or children and instead gulps down Victoria’s (Parker Posey) lorazepam to dissociate from reality.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissociate
Cite this Entry
“Dissociate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissociate. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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dissociate
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dissociate
verb
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