association
noun
as·so·ci·a·tion
ə-ˌsō-sē-ˈā-shən 
-shē-
1
a
: the act of associating
b
: the state of being associated : combination, relationship
had a long association with the firm
2
: an organization of persons having a common interest : society
an alumni association
3
: something linked in memory or imagination with a thing or person
His former school has only negative associations for him.
4
: the process of forming mental connections or bonds between sensations, ideas, or memories
5
: the aggregation of chemical species (see species entry 1 sense 1e) to form (as with hydrogen bonds) loosely bound complexes (see complex entry 1 sense 3)
6
: a major unit in ecological community organization characterized by essential uniformity and usually by two or more dominant species
Examples of association in a Sentence
an association of local business leaders
They denied having any association with terrorists.
They have a long association with the school and have donated millions of dollars to it.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Broward County Commission approved new regulations this week targeting condo elevator maintenance, a move aimed at forcing building owners and homeowners' associations to establish formal protocols during outages.
—
Joan Murray, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Payments went to Indigenous chiefs, who passed part of the money to local associations.
—ABC News, 19 June 2026
The district also agreed to pay for Limoges to join up to four professional associations.
—Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 19 June 2026
But people are more open-minded and pragmatic than many political commentators assume, and Burnham has long since shrugged off his association with previous eras of Labour.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for association
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Joan Murray, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Payments went to Indigenous chiefs, who passed part of the money to local associations.
—ABC News, 19 June 2026
The district also agreed to pay for Limoges to join up to four professional associations.
—Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 19 June 2026
But people are more open-minded and pragmatic than many political commentators assume, and Burnham has long since shrugged off his association with previous eras of Labour.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for association
Cite this Entry
“Association.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/association. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
association
noun
as·so·ci·a·tion
ə-ˌsō-sē-ˈā-shən
-ˌsō-shē-
1
: the act of associating : the state of being associated
2
: an organization of persons having a common interest
an athletic association
3
: a feeling, memory, or thought connected with a person, place, or thing
pleasant associations with the beach
4
: the formation of loosely bound groups of ions or molecules
Medical Definition
association
noun
as·so·ci·a·tion
ə-ˌsō-sē-ˈā-shən, -shē-
1
: the act of associating
2
: something linked in memory or imagination with a thing or person
3
: the process of forming mental connections or bonds between sensations, ideas, or memories
4
: the aggregation of chemical species to form (as with hydrogen bonds) loosely bound chemical complexes compare polymerization sense 1
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