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 (by a grand total of two letters) but both words are in current good use.
Examples of dissociate in a Sentence
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
These operating agreements provided that if a member of the LLCs filed or was forced into bankruptcy, then the bankrupt member would be immediately dissociated from the LLC and no longer will receive distributions.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
But they are often dissociated from their emotions, struggling with indecision, or living in a constant state of low-level overwhelm.
—Ashleigh N. Deluca, Parents, 4 Aug. 2025
Dogs showing signs of separation anxiety may benefit from gradual desensitization to being alone and learning to dissociate cues like jingling keys from being left alone.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 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 20 Sep. 2025.
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dissociate
verb
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dissociate
verb
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