free association
free association
nounDefinition of FREE ASSOCIATION
1
a : the expression (as by speaking or writing) of the content of consciousness without censorship as an aid in gaining access to unconscious processes especially in psychoanalysis b : the reporting of the first thought that comes to mind in response to a given stimulus (as a word)
2
: an idea or image elicited by free association
3
: a method using free association
— free–as·so·ci·ate \ˌfrē-ə-ˈsō-s(h)ē-ˌāt\ intransitive verb
— free–as·so·ci·at·ive \-s(h)ē-ˌā-tiv, -shə-tiv\ adjective
First Known Use of FREE ASSOCIATION
1899
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